Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-10-21
FAIR :
ENOUGH
By Westbrook
Peeler

TT HAS taken more than eight
years, since the passage OF
the Wagner Act 10 re-establish
the right of 4 an employer
whether the corner grocer ORB
soulleSS corporation, TO speAH
to his clerk or address the
whole staff, on a topic which
was forbidden by the Labor Re-
latonS Board.
This has been done by de-
cision of the Supreme Court re-
-fuSing 10 review a decision OF
the Second Circuit Court OF
Appeals which eXonerated the
American Tube Bending Co. of
unfair labor practice in express
ing TO its employees the COM
panys views that they should
not vote TO bargain through a
certain union.
Soon after the Wagner Act
became law, and at a time
when the board and its staff
were infested with Communists
and fellow travellers of brash
and arrogant disposition. the
board took the position that the
employers freedom Of speech
was abridged.
This was the party line Of the
New Deal government. too, for
the whole personnel in charge
OF the Wagner Act was selected
deliberately and with great care
90 impart 10 the administration
of the law the devious and coer-
Give manners and twists OF
thought which MusSolini had
employed in his early days 10
persuade the Italian workers
that he stood as their friend
against the bosses.
THE administrative personnel
Il and manners OF the Wagner
Act have changed markedly
since a congressional investiga-
tion disclosed some of the more
outrageous. dishonest and to-
talitarian practices of the early
days. a.
However, the old, origiR1
idea yields doggedly, for the
Labor Relations Board still IN
sisted in the current case that
the employer could not speak
freely. in accordance with the
Constitution. because the work.
ers were dependent on the COM
pany for their jobs and were
under compulSion to listen n
It's arguments even though they
might have preferred not 10.
Meanwhile. many workers
have learned that they do not
enjoy freedom Of speech in
union councils but may be eX-
PEELED for diSrespect for the
ruling unioncerS and that they
are under absolute compulsion
TO listen 10 the union boss and
obey him.
IN THE early days OF the
L Wagner Act one employer IN
New York was threatened with
citation for coercion because
he had avaled himself OF the
freedom Of the press and Of the
United States mails 10 send 10
his employees copies OF news
paper article discussing certain
union practices.
And the labor boards inter-
probation Of the word coercion"
was such that an employer was
forbidden even 10 inform his
employees or express his opinion
that the union organizer was a
Communist and thus a traitor
or a gangSter with a criminal
record.
This redemption of one Of Yhe
basic American freedoms ws,ch
the New Deal-Communist AXIS
would have impaired was won
not by any Liberal" individual
or group but by a soulleSs COR
poratiOn.
/ doubt that the same II
preme court would have maj.
the same decision four or five
years ago. In those years. hove
ever. the subtle perhdy of the
Wagner Act and IT'S hidden
European political design have
been convincingly disclosed and
public opinion has gradually
turned against il.
The people may take credit
for an assist on this play. but
five years ago they might have
listened 10 an argument that II
Is possible 10 abridge the Amer
leans freedom OF speech with
out impairing the same right OF
all the rest.
Copyright. 1913, BY United Features synd.