The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-07-20
. BEHIND THE SCENES
IN WASHINGTON .

COiiNctSioii TIC says everything
points toward more labor trou-
bles. He has no illusions about
being able to stop strikes. But
he does consider ii his job to
minimize labor controversy and
labor disputes, and that should
bring amens and cheers by the
hundred million. DR.. John r.
Steelman, former head of the
U. S. Cancellation Service has
been brought back to Washing
ton temporarily to act as an ad-
wiser on reorganization of labor
mediation machinery.
WOULD IMPLEMENT LABOR
CHARTER
Schwellenbach has talked to
u. S. Chamber of Commerce
President Eric Johnston, who
also comes from Spokane, Wash,
about the Labor Charter which
Johnston, c. !. O.'s Phil Murray
and A. F. of LIS Bill Green
sponsored last March for volun-
tary settlement Of labor disputes
without government participa-
ton. Schwellenbach thinks this
idea may be effective if it can
be supplemented.
Asked about the Burton-Ball-
Hatch labor arbitration bill just
introduced in the Senate, Sch
wellenbach says he hasn't read it
and doesn't intend to read it till
he gets through with the re-
organization of the Department
of Labor. which he considers his
first job. In addition to Steel
man, Schwellenbach has brought
five other old friends into the
Department to serve as his eyes
and ears and act as his advisers
on recognizing the department
and the score or more of indie
pendent labor agencies scattered
Schwellenbach has notified
the heads of the Railroad Broth
erhoods, the United Mine Work
ers, the A. F. of l.. and the c. 10.
that he wants to consult with
them and wants them TO design
ate men from their headquarters
to come into the Department of
Labor and work with him on
its reorganization. Labor lead
ers have thus far been rather
backward about expressin them
selves on Schwellenbach's ap-
pointment, largely because they
were put out by President Tru-
mans failure to consult them on
the appointment. When Sch
wellenbach was asked if he
would meet with these labor
leaders jointly, he turned quick
ly and with a big smile said,
Separately"
oEh LIE AhDOn
BACKGROUND
Before Schwellenbach came to
Washington as senator in 1885,
he served for 10 years as at
torney for the Seattle labor
unions, and as their adviser. He
hopes he can be considered an
adviser to labor unions, now that
he is Secretary of Labor.
The new secretary denies flat
ly the report that he owes his
selection to the Cabinet to Dave
Beck, Seattle labor leader. Sch
wellenbach got the job, he says.
because when he came TO the
capital as Washington State s n
ator in 1885, another freshman
senator in his class was Harry
S. Truman of Missouri. They
were close friends in the Senate
for five years. 1t did, however.
take friend Truman four days
of arguing over the transcontin-
entail telephone lines to persuade
Schwellenbach to take the job
as Secretary of Labor.
~ He has set himself goal of
finding out within 30 days what
goes on in the Department of
Labor and the 20-odd independ-
en-: labor agencies. In the ne, :
80 days, or Sept. 1, he hopes to
work out plan for reoraniz-
ing the whole kit and Doodle.
He'll 60 on, from there.