Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-10
Lewis Blasts Truman S
Labor Plan as Step 10
'EnsIaye' 50 Million
(continued From First Page. !,

'EnsIaye' 50 Million
Continued From First Page.)
strength of organized labor and con-
tribute to the weakening of the
bodies of labor In bargaining with
those who were purchasing thei1
services" Mr. Lewis said.
ut would place In statutory irons
the $4,000, 900 people who work for a
living in this country. 1t would give
the advantage to the rich and the
powerful" z-..
Charging that the fact finding
Idea was designed for the "harass.
ment" of labor, the mine leader said
that if Congress passes the legisla-
ton it would be guilty of taking
the first step to create the corpo-
rate of an absolute state"
RECOMMENDATION Feared.
He added that it would lead to
RECOMMENDATION of the people to the
maximum degree" and in so doing
change our entire form of Govern
ment, substituting a government
centrally controlled by a few men.
Mr.. Lewis said the legislation
"creates a board of three or more
strangers to pass upon a dispute in
an industry"
He added that about the only
facts a commission could look into
would be to determine whether the
cost of living had increased since
the last work contract had been
negotiated and the ability of the
employer to pay higher wages. He
added that labor was not interested
in either of those situations.
Politics Would Enter.
Such Investigations, Mr.. Lewis
said, would lead to price fixing,
planned economy and overall regi-
mentation of our industry"
We'll, if that's what Americans
want, tbs is good start toward
getting it."
Pointing out that jobs on the fact
finding commissions would be widely
sought in view of the high pay, Mr..
Lewis said that politics would in
evitably enter into appointment of
commissions. He said that under
the bill the President was not bound
to select commission members from
q, list supplied by the Secretary of
Labor.
"Conceivably, we could have a
President who sometimes might take
the selections of the Postmaster
General, particularly if the POST
master General happened to be
chairman of the Democratic or Re-
publican party. Those are going to
be nice jobs-at 500 a day." he
said.
Pressure" Called Vital.
Mr.. Lewis said that the idea of
having fact-finding commissions
backed by law to investigate labor
disputes and make recommendations
toward their settlement was moth
ing but form of compulsory arbi-
trationS
Referring to the provision for a
no-strike period of 80 days, Mr..
dCWlS Cold Oll1O WOuld PlCNCllU ldbOl
from bringing that constant pres
sure" on employers which is SO
necessary for high production and
efficiency in the Nations factories.
He said that without presSures
from both labor and industry this
Nation soon would become back
ward" with low production and a
lowered economy.
At one point. in his testimony Mr.
Lewis referred to the War Labor
Board as "a little governmental
board that did nothing to- contribute
to the economic well-being and
only acted to fasten compulsory ar
bitration on industry"
Appeasing Millionaires.
Mr.. Lewis said restrictive labor
legislation was being advanced to
"appease and protect a. few mil
lionaires who find themselves
frightened by the strength of labor
He was reminded by Representa-
tive Mcconnell, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, that the bill to set up
fact-finding procedures in labor dis
putes was the suggestion of Presi-
dent Truman and not of Mr.
Lewis "millionaires
Il think the President can be i'm
posed upon ~ wrongful advice just
as an ordinary citizen can be i'm
posed upon" Mr.. Lewis remarked.
II Hope he (the President) will
change his position"
The mine leader said that "the
only difference between serfdom
and freedom is the right of volun-
tary contract"
No Legal Restriction.
He was asked by Representative
Barden, Democrat, of North Caro-
lima, whether he thought unions
should be made legally responsible
to adhere to contracts just as en-
ployers are. Mr.. Lewis answered
that there was no actual legal re-
sponsibility on employers to abide
by contracts. He illustrated that
the Pittsburgh Coal Co. once had
torn up" their contract with his
mine workers.
I'VE have had contracts torn UP
by the best economic families in
this country-the MELONS, the
Rockefellers; I could call the roll.''
Mr.. Lewis lectured the committee
members on economics and gave at
length his theory of the American
free enterprise system. At one
point he engaged in heated ex-
change with Representative Hoff-
man, Republican, of Michigan.
Hoffman, Lewis Clash.
Mr.. Hoffman observed that Mr..
Lewis would be surprised as to
what the common man knows about
what Is going on in labor"
You don't call yourself COM
mon persona" Mr.. Lewis asked sar-
castically.
Eyes, just a little lower than the
average in ability and intelligence, =