Evening star., 1944-09-12
Merger Of Agencies
Dealing With Labor
Promised by Dewey
BY J.. A. O'LEARY,
Star Staff Correspondent,

uedllnS Win laDOT pTODaDly Will De
one of the first acts of Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey If elected, it was indicated
today as the Republican presiden-
tial nominee moved deeper into the
farming and cattle region.
During series of conferences in
Des Moines, Iowa, with delegations
from various voting groups the
Governor is understood to have told
labor representatives he could see
no reason why SO many different
agencies are neededln Washington
to- handle the Governments rela-
tionships with workers.
He suggested, according to reliable
reports, that there be an extensive
Capitalization of labor functions,
but with labor guaranteed full rep
resentation in the new administra-
ton. 1t is expected that, as the
campaign develops, he will outline
his labor views fully in one of his
major speeches.
Platform Paves Way.
The platform adopted by the Re-
publican convention at Chicago
paved the way for such a stand by
the party's candidate, by declaring
that all governmental labor activi-
ties must be placed under the direct
authority and responsibility of the
Secretary of Labor" The platform
also advocated selection of a repre-
sentative of labor for that cabinet
post. Although favoring centraliza-
ton of labor administration, the
platform indorsed the principles of
the National Labor Relations Act
and the wage-hour law.
A change in the itinerary of the
Western trip to include visits to
Sheridan, Wyo., and Billings, Mont =,
were announced by Paul E. Lock-
wood, Gov. Deweys secretary.
Gov. Dewey will cut short the
time originally scheduled to be spent
in Nebraska and proceed to Sher-
idan Thursday for conferences with
political leaders, livestock men and
representatives of the sugar-beet in
dustry
Leaving wyoming Thursday night,
the Republican nominee will move
on to Billings for an overnight stop
and hold similar conferences there
with Montana delegations before
resuming the original schedule at
Couer D'Alene, Idaho, Saturday.
The Dewey train will reach Spo-
kane, Wash, Saturday afternoon.
After resting in Spokane Sunday,
Gov. Dewey will make four major
speeches of his campaign next week,
at Seattle, Wash; Portland, Greg;
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Will Continue Conference.
Stopping today at the ranch of
former Gov. Sam r. McKelvie, near
Valentine, Nebr, Gov. Dewey will
spend two days continuing the con-
ferences he began in Des Moines
yesterday with farmers and cattle
faisers to get a first-hand picture
of the problems they will face when
Germany collapses and huge war
time food production is no longer
needed.
Gov Dewey told a press confer
ence yesterday he does not believe
the present administration has
shown itself competent to handle
the postwar food-surplus problem
The governor will not make farm
speech on this trip to the Pacific
Coast, but is expected to return
to the Midwest in October, and
probably will discuss the problems
of agriculture from Minneapolis.
Political reports filtering into Des
Moines we're to the effect that both
Iowa and Nebraska are going Re-
publican in November, but that
Minnesota may develop into a bat
tleground. If Gov. Dewey goes to
Minnesota early in October, politi-
cal observers believe he will speak
also in Missouri, Illinois, Wiscon-
sin and Ohio on the way out or back
The Republicans will put up a
strenuous fight for all of those
States.
Gov and Mrs. Dewey will be met
at Valentine by Mrs Dwight Girls
void, wife of the governor, who
is i'll. Present also will be Ne
braska's two Senators, Butler and
Wherry, and South Dakotas two
Senators, Gurney and Bushf1eld, all
Republicans.
Hits Delay on Reconversion.
At the nearby McKelvie ranch
Gov. Dewey will confer with cattle
producers and political leaders of
Nebraska and South Dakota before
moving on Wednesday night into
the Northwest and" down the Pa
cific Coast.
In Des Moines Gov, Dewey crit
icized the administration for tardl-
ness in making plans for reconver-
sion of industry and a tapering of
of home front controls when Ger
many is beaten. Asked to comment
on the recent Byrnes report, he
said, 1T is a start" but one that
comes very late" He recalled that
in Pittsburgh six weeks ago he de-
clared reconversion plans should
have begun six months ago. Now,
he said, those plans are Tn months
behind schedule.
You cannot reconvert the in
dustry of the country without
notice" he continued, and without
permission, since so much of 1t is
under governmental control today.
The mere physical problem of get
ting Government property out of
the plants, so they can start to re-
convert is a gigantic undertaking