Evening star., 1946-06-26
Editor Asserts Laws
Have Failed 10 Settle
u. 5. Labor Disputes
BY the Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, June &C.
Editor Nelson P. Poynter of the
st. Petersburg Times told National
Labor Relations Board examiner
here that arbitration and collective
bargaining. not new labor laws,
would best solve labor difficulties.
Mr.. Poynter, chief witness for the
Evening Independent and the Times,
whose composing room crews are on
strike, returned to the stand today
for his second day of testimony at
the hearing before Trial Examiner
Thomas S. Wilson of Washington.
Mr.. Poynter added in his testi-
mony yesterday, however, that COL
lective bargaining becomes a mock
cry without checks and balances on
unions as well as on management.
Willing to Arbitrate.
The editor denied that the two
st. Petersburg newspapers refused
to bargain with Local $50 of the
International Typographical Union
as charged. He alleged that it was
the union which refused to arbi-
trate. Had there been arbitration,
he asserted, there would have been
no strike last November 20.
"All the labor laws laid end to end
have failed to stop Strikes" Mr.
Poynter read into the record.
Much of Mr. Poynter's testimony
was from a prepared statement
which Chief Counsel Thurman Ar
mold, OF st-busting fame, as
sured the examiner was pertinent to
the case. Mr.. Wilson permitted the
19-page document to be read into
the record subject to possible later
motion to strike it out.
The examiner also permitted tes-
timony, as he stated it, to go "far
afeld from the issue" Immediately
before him because Mr.. Arnold in
formed him the publishers consid-
cred the case a test which would
eventually reach the Supreme Court.
Strongly Pro-Labor.
The dispute. described as being
between a clean" union and a
newspaper which Lowell Mellett,
Washington columnist and nation
ally known editor, testified was
widely known as being strongly pro-
labor, might bring about reinterpre-
tation of the Wagner Labor Rela-
tions Act, Mr.. Arnold said
Such an appeal would be hinged
ON the point that when union re-
fuses to bargain, an employer is not
obligated to bargain. Mr.. Arnold
made clear that this action would
seek to require unions to submit to
arbitration rules which they set
forth as laws"
No question of the constitutional
ity of the Wagner Act was raised.
Only its Interpretation will be ques-
toned if the case goes to an ap-
pellate court
Mr.. Poynter testified that union
laws become fastened onto the
newspapers operations by harass-
ment rather than by collective bar
gaining.
Cites Employers Rights.
He asserted:
L have fought editorially for the
dignity of labor, but I also assert
that an employer is entitled to some
self-respect and dignity, too, and he
can't have it under these laws"
Mr.. Mellett testified to his 20
years of friendship with Mr.. Poyn-
ter, their former association while
Mr.. Poynter was business manager
of the News and general problems
of newspaper management.
He said efficiency and esprit de
corps were necessary for the success
of publisher in a small community
who attempted to give readers a
f1rst-class metropolitan newspaper
The st. Petersburg Times, he said
was such newspaper.
Mr.. Mellett further testified that
the total number of newspapers in
the United States was decreasing
because of competition from big