Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-08-24

AlaA ueSh ny tHe uTSt VI Septe11l'
Der.
Reorganization
Touchy Problem
The next step would logically be
an executive order from the Presi-
dent embodying the Schwellenbach
report to make the suggested
changes. With his war powers, the
President wouldn't have to ask the
pleasure of congress. But President
Truman doesn't want the changes
he makes to be temporary affairs.
Like every other president since
Grover Cleveland, he has requested
powers to reorganize the govern
ment and never has congress Of
fered carte-blanche go-ahead.
Such bill is pending in congress
now. However, if the suggestions
made by Secretary Schwellenbach
were considered reasonable, they
might be put into a bill and passed.
In any case they will probably be
presented before the other measure
authorizing wider presidential au-
thority is considered
In the meantime, labor itself is
tending to cloud the atmosphere in
Solar as acceptance of any efforts
to restore full, free, collective bar
gaining, which the no-strike pledge
and various wartime restrictions
have virtually suspended. The pub
lie is getting very irritated with vio-
lations of the no-strike pledge and
what many feel to be union demands
which, whether or not they appear
fair as between labor and manage
ment, do not take the consumer into
consideration.
Much of the antagonism is due to
the feeling of the men who resented
strikes while they were in the serv-
ice. Schwellenbach managed to
smooth out one of the toughest vet
Grams versus unions troubles the
country ever witnessed back in his
home state of Washington after the
last war. He admits there is no
doubt that such antagonism exists
now. "We may as well face it," he
says. But he thinks he can handle it.
One habit which Schwellenbach
wants to break up, and it is as
sumed the President wants him to
break up, is having labor disputes
leap-frog right into the lap of the
White House. Some of the old-line
labor department officials used to
writhe every time long, hot tele-
gram went out such as some of
those addressed to John Lewis while
the coal strike was going on, which
were signed by President Roosevelt,
but dictated by the War Labor
board, which labor and management
had snubbed. These old-timers felt
that many of the questions could
have been settled with the ma
chinery which already existed with
in the department.
Of course, the War Labor board,
which has had all the tasks COM
plicated by the war to perform, will
die with VI Day.
VoWs Impartial
Labor Department
Other separate agencies dealing
with labor will continue The United
States Employment service and the
apprenticeship and training pro-
gram are now part of the War Man.
power commission. Social security
is run by the social security board.
If the movement to create a new
department of welfare succeeds, this
new set-up might conceivably abb
sorb social security and also the
children's bureau, now under the la
Dor department.
The National Labor Relations
board, which administers it's quasi
judicial functions under the Wagner
act, now independent, would have
its housekeeping" done by the de-
partment-that is, its financing, per-
sonnet and such matters would be
under the secretary of labor.
Since Schwellenbach has been in
office he has talked to whole string
of labor men and a whole string of
management men, too.
81 am not a labor Official" he
says, II am a public official
That pretty we'll sets up his posi-
ton and, as said, it makes his job,
so far as the Hobbies of labor and
management 60, about as thankless
as the labors of Hercules. Congress
feels that the labor department is
supposed to look after labor inter-
ests and what Judge Schwellenbach
is shooting at is to have it operate
with the impartiality of a court.
But his chief concern now is to con-
solidate under one head all govern
ment activities pertaining to labor.
H.. Po I,