Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-29
Truman Opportunity
For Leadership Seen
Fact. Finding and Price Control
Legislation Held Needed
Bv David Laurence

BY David Laurence
President Truman has an opportunity
for unexampled leadership in pressing
Congress to adopt two major pieces Of
legislation-the extension of price con-
troll for one year and the establishment
Of a system of fact-finding, boards to
investigate labor disputes.
Although representatives of manage
ment and labor have both expressed OPP
position to the fact-finding board idea,
no important argument has been made
by either except the expression Of a
fear of Government encroachment on
the prerogatives of the unions or the
employers. Mere fear that statute
might be abused is not sufficient rea-
son for refusing to enact it.
It is true that fact-finding boards
have not been particularly successful in
recent weeks, but this is due to the
failure of Congress to provide such
boards with statutory power to investi-
gate any and all factors that may be
relevant to labor dispute, including all
books and data which might be perth
nent to the work of the board in ques-
ton. Similarly, labor unions have re-
fused to obey the request Of the Presi-
dent of the United States that they
continue production while the fact
finding boards made their investiga-
tons.
Not the Entire Answer.
The fact-fnding idea is not the en-
tire answer, but it is the beginning of
disinterested approach by Government
as the representative of the public
interest. 1t will be recalled that the
| National War Labor Board had full
subpoena powers and could call for any
books or records, and yet no abuse Of
those privileges has been recorded.
Likewise, the War Labor Board in
sisted that the unions or employers
resume production as a condition Of
further examination of case in hand,
and the unions did not regard this as
limitation on the right to strike.
The truth of the matter is that
neither the unions nor the employing
companies want to be bothered with
limited right to carry on their battles
without regard to how much damage
may be done the public interest.
This Nation would have been seriously
Inconvenience If there had been no
wartime powers Of seizure for the Pres
1dent to utilize in the meat-packing
strike. Once the wartime powers have
been repealed, what will the Govern
| ment do?
1t would appear that the power to
seize in time OF war did not really need
statutory sanction. In fact, it was done
under broad powers Of self-preservation
before specific legislation authorizing
such seizures was passed. If the power
is invested in the President to protect
the public interest in wartime, 1t may
some day be argued that he has the
same power in peacetime. Surely the
safety or health of the Nation is as
much IN peril at one time as it is
another when the meat supply is cut off.
Some Substitute Needed.
Some substitute for the power of
seizure is necessary. The Presidents
AoCt-Aii4OAI1S pIUpOSdl Is an initial
step which could conceivably focus at
tention on issues which now cause
serious disputes between unions and
management. Supplementing it would
be legislation to encourage and
strengthen the Cancellation process.
Another pending bill which is vital
to economic sterilization of the post
war period is the extension of the law
under which certain price controls
are maintained. The demand for re-
lease of all wartime controls is coming
from various quarters and eventually it
should be granted. But in the interest
OF an orderly acknowledgement of the
whole economic situation from its war;
time problems and aftermath, an ex-
tension of the law appears to be re-
CURED
Britain has extended almost all her
wartime controls for five years, It is
to be regretted that the President abol-
ished the War Labor Board and other
controls so precipitately last year, The
need for an evolutionary rather than a
revolutionary change in wartime con-
trolls has been demonstrated in the
labor crisis which has delayed recon-
version and cost the Nation heavily in
| lost production and wages.
| o