Evening star., 1945-12-09
Cancellation Service
Wins Praise for Work
Proposal to Strengthen 1t Called
Major Achievement
BIZ E. B. Mittelman.


BY E. B. Mittelman.
Although the National Labor-Man-
agemerft Conference, after celebrating
for more than three weeks, misfired on
most issues it had been called to con-
slider, 1t did succeed in setting of one
charge that may, in the long run, re-
deem all the failures, and certainly
equal If not exceed in Importance, the
to Congress on fact-finding machinery.
This Is the labor management recon-
mendation that every effort be made to
reorganize the United States Concilia-
ton Service, and that Congress make
available funds for improving and
strengthening the service.
Looking at the agenda again, now
that the conference is over, it does not
require too much hindsight to realize
that the conference could not have
ended in anything but failure. 1t mere
ly provided labor and management with
an opportunity to air their ancient dif-
ferences on the National Labor Rela-
tions Board, wildcat strikes, and juris-
dictional disputes. For good measure
management was given an opportunity
to stake out the field Of management, on
which labor, thereafter, was not to
trespass, and at least one part of the
labor delegation took the opportunity to
declare itself for general increase in
wages. In the course OF the delibera-
tions management, in effect, asked labor
to agree to legislative restrictions upon
itself, for management alone could not
commit the conference to anything; on
the other hand, while the entire labor
delegation stood pat on legislative re-
strictions, the CIO delegation asked
management to agree to higher wages.
The one issue on the agenda on which
labor and management found common
ground was the Cancellation Service.
Both, from the very beginning, were in
agreement on the need for improving
the service. Management at first init
mated that the service. when improved,
ought to be independent of the Labor
Department. In this management raised
an issue of more than 80 years standing,
covering practically the full life of the
department. Management has always
been skittish about the Labor Depart
ment, feeling that 1t was created to serve
labor, just as labor has generally been
skittish about the Commerce Depart
ment, feeling that it was created to
serve commerce and industry. The con-
ference compromised the issue by recon-
mending that the service be left in the
Labor Department, but that an advisory
committee, representing labor and man.
agement, be appointed by the Secretary
OF Labor to advise the service on ques-
tions Of policy, procedure, organization
and personnel
This was wise solution of the prob
lem. Since labor calls upon the service
more often than management, 1t was
wise to leave it in the Labor Depart
ment, but since management is equally
interested in the result 1t was wise to
give management an equal hand with
labor in determining the character of
the service rendered.
In spite OF the importance Of con-
ciliation, only now being realized, the
service has always been something of a
stepchild in the department. Most
subdivisions Of the department exist by
virtue Of special acts of Congress: the
service Is merely an extension Of the
power given the Secretary OF Labor to
act as mediator in labor disputes and
n anpNfnf -
ton. Not based on a special act. and
thus not having withstood the scrutiny
of Congress, the service had to make
its own way. Starting with only a de-
flciency appropriation Of 5000, back in
1913, 1t, up to the outbreak Of the Sec
ond World War, had only about $500 900
a year to cover the entire country. One
way of making such small amounts 20
as far as possible was to pay low sala-
ries. Even in 1914 these salaries ran
around $500 to $1,000 a year. But no
competent stan of conciliators could be
recruited and maintained on such sala-
ries. The conference realized that and
enough to attract persons having the
necessary qual1ncatlonS.
4 NJ
Another difnculty besides limited
funds was that the department itself
did not until recently fully realize the
potentialities of the Cancellation Service,
In spite Of the voluntary nature Of its
activities. Just because its activities are
voluntary, the service should have hired
men OF the highest caliber even If that
meant hiring fewer men, well informed
on the technical and economic phases
of industry, and impartial. Instead,
the first Secretary of Labor tried to
hire diplomats" thinking that it was
up to him to develop diplomatic duties
with reference to labor disputes and
analogous to those of the Department
of State with reference to international
controversies" BY way Of contrast the
abor-Management Conference recon-
mended that the personnel of the serv-
ice "shoaYh he cha racterizAd hv irnpar-