Evening star., 1946-09-30
Wagner Act Change
Needed to End Strife
Nations Labor Law Seen as Root
of Internal Economic War
By David La,Orencs

of Internal Economic War
By David Laurence
Since democracies haven't seemed to
discover a way to prevent internal war.
1t may well be wondered how they can
ever stop external war.
Not only in the United States but in
Britain, Canada and elsewhere the eco
nomic power of labor and management
is such that disputes are being settled
only through wars of exhaustion. In
America even physical force is occa-
sionally used. The newspapers nowadays
print illustrations of virtual anarchy
where courts or police departments are
either too timid or too Indifferent to
prevent violence in picketing.
Economic anarchy has grown con-
siderably since the passage of the Wag-
ner Labor Relations Law in 1885. In the
II years prior to the enactment of the
Wagner Law, there were 1880 strikes.
In the IL years since the law was
passed. there have been 38,52l strikes
The Wagner Law is responsible for
the breaking down Of the relations be-
tween management and it's employees.
1t has erected such artificial barriers
as to make impossible in many instances
the maintenance Of friendly and cordial
relations. The negotiation of contracts
has usually been attended by an atmos-
phere of hostility which leave, MANY
traces Of real bitterness when one or
the other side is compelled to yield to
superior economic power.
Rank and File Union Form I'd.
This bitterness would not be present
If management and employees could talk
frankly to one another. Under the Wag-
ner Law, communication must be con-
fined strictly to committees chosen by
the unions and often these committees
comprise officers who are engaged In
internal politics, so that the rank and
file do not really know what Is going
on and often are given a misrepresenta-
tion of the employers real attitude.
The Wagner Act Is in dire need OF
amendment. To mention 1t, however, is
to bring condemnation at once from
labor groups. Yet the late President
Roosevelt, as recently as the spring of
1888, said he believed the Wagner Act
should be amended in several par
ticulars. 1t was at an interview with
the American Society Of Newspaper
Editors but it was off f-the-record at the
time. The interview was published in
the Roosevelt Public Papers in Decem-
ber, 1941 The pertinent part of the
statement follows:
The Wagner Act ought to have vsri-
GUS amendments made to it, but we are
a funny people over here. We at once
go to the extremes both on the side of
labor and on the side of the employer
Cites English Methods.
Now in England when they put
social legislation on the statute books
| they do it with the knowledge that
every year or so they will amend it -
Now how do they amend it? They have
| a royal commission that looks it over
| The commission is nonpartisan, there
are businessmen on it, and there are
labor people on it. They decide that the
thing needs certain improvements. The
royal commission makes a report to
the Parliament, and the thing goes
through, almost automatically, without
fuss or feathers
IF we had that temperament over
ner Act this year and improved the
Social Security Act this year, keeping
them out of politics.
Now the machinery (of the Wagner
Act)-heavens abovel-the machinery
needs improving, of course it does, but
do it the English way"
What Mr.. Roosevelt really was saying
was that law as important as the
Wagner Act should be improved by
evolutionary experience. Any one who
is disinterested and knows the real
workings Of the act will ooncede that
1t needs amendment. But the labor
leaders have lobbied successfully and
blocked such action In Congress. In the
single instance in IL years that amend
ments to the Wagner Act were passed
by both Houses OF Congress, President
Truman vetoed the measure and used
as pretext the very language offered
as objections by the union leaders
1t was sad day for America when
President Truman played politics with
the labor problem. Under effective
leadership In the White House, legisIa-
ton could have been enacted this year
to prevent strikes in industries involv-
ing public utilities or services essential
to the public health and safety. A
system of compulsory arbitration in
such industries is imperative and would
have had public support. The right OF
economic groups to damage the public
interest is neither unqualified nor un-
limited. But it takes statesmanship to
cure internal war, and that unhappily
is lacking today.
Reproduction Rishts ReservedJ