Evening star., 1945-12-13
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

By JAMES Y. NEWTON.
Donald r. Richberg told a Sen
ate committee today that Presi-
dent Truman's proposal for
establishment of fact-flnding
commissions to handle major
labor disputes was inadequate
and he likened the idea to obi
cycle with a wheel left off and
no pedals" which mo one will
get anywhere trying to ride"
The prominent labor attorney and
one-time NRA administrator, testi-
fed on bill to carry out Mr.. Tru-
mans ideas as labor supporters
looked to the Senate to kill the
Hobbs bill. passed Overwhelmingly
by the House, which would subject
labor unions to provisions of the
1884 "Antiracketeering" Act.
Mr.. Richberg, saying that the way
to prevent strikes is to make them
added that the Truman
proposal will make strikes more
necessary than ever and more diff
flcult to prevent and harder to set
tie. This is a case where a half
done job is worse than no job"
Helped Draft Railway Act.
The attorney, who helped draft
the Railway Labor Act, said the
Presidents proposal bore little re-
semblance to that law, enacted 20
years ago. Mr.. Truman, in his
message to Congress, had likened
his fact-flnding proposal to the
Railway Act.
Mr.. Richberg, whose testimony
was given before the Senate Educa-
ton and Labor Committee, said
there also should be machinery
backed by law providing for Gov
ernment mediation and voluntary
arbitration as well as public fact
finding.
He commended to the committees
attention a rewritten version of the
Bau-Burton-Hatch bill now before
Congress which he helped draft. He
added that this bill followed the
Railway Act in nearly every par
ticular.
Meanwhile. Senator Ellender,
Democrat, of Louisiana, who intro
duced the Senate bill embodying
the Presidents recommendations,
told reporters he had given up hope
OF action on the measure before the
Christmas recess as requested by
Mr.. Truman.
100 Seek to Testify.
He added that the committee had
received requests from about 100
persons who wished to testify at
hearings.
Under the revised Ball-Burton-
Hatch bill, which Senator Ball, Re-
publican, of Minnesota, has said he
will offer as a substitute for the
Truman plan. arbitration and fact
finding machinery are provided.
THE Government has imposed a
legal duty on employers to bargain
with labor organizations" Mr.. Rich
berg said. How can there be any
reasonable objection to imposing
also legal duty on labor organiza-
tions to bargain with employers?"
He said the Government makes
itself contemplate by merely plead
ing for good conduct instead of re-
quiring obedience to law"
Raps "Belligerents."
Those belligerent persons,
whether labor leaders or employers,
who still insist on fighting out eco
nomic conflicts between labor and
management are entitled to less
consideration than the advocates of
aggressive international warfare
Mr.. Richberg said in another part
Of his testimony, adding:
But, there is ample Justification
for labor warfare so long as the
Government does not provide an
adequate legal machinery for the
settlement of labor disputes by pro-
cesses of justice instead of by rule
of force
Senator Ellender asked the wit
ness if he did not think it would be
better to pass emergency legislation
now rather than to waste months
trying to have the Halliburton
Hatch bill enacted.
Mr.. Richberg admitted that the
current industrial situation was
grave, but said Congress should pass
legislation which would really be
helpful to the situation.
Cites Other Regulatory Bills.
Those labor leaders who are to-
day Historically shouting that labor
will be enslaved and labor unions
will be destroyed if denied an abso-
lutte right to strike =" he said,
should look into the statutes and
see what happened to the railroad
czars, the financial czars and the
business czars who fought regulation
which was needed to protect the
public a"
Secretary of Labor Schwellen-
bach, supporter of the President s
plan on the Senate side yesterday
was to appear before the House La
Dor Committee today.
The House passed the Hobbs bill
extending antiracketeering provi-
sions to unions by a thunderous
voice vote. Labor supporters found
solace in the fact that the House
took the same action two years ago,
only to see the bill die in Senate
committee.
There isn't any question that
we can stop it in the Senate" COM
mented Representative Marcan-
tonic, American Laborite of New
York, a leader of the fight against
the Hobbs bill.
The first union-restricting step
! (See LABOR, Page A-24)