Evening star., 1947-03-11
|SchWeIIenbach
|FavorsU. 5. Ban
On Communists
Step Proposed to !.
Solve Labor and
Other Problems
By Jones Y. Newton

Secretary of Labor Schwellen-
bach advocated today that Con-
gress outlaw the Communist
Party in the United States as a
means of curbing the activities
Of subversive groups.
Mr.. Schwellenbach, testifying be-
fore the House Labor Committee on
proposals to restrict union activity,
predicted strikes this year will be
"drastically reduced" and warned
against radical changes in labor law
which he said might promote
strife" and "chaos" in industrial
relations.
The recommendation for outlaw
ing the Communist Party came
when Representative Lands, Re-
publican, of Indiana asked the La.
Dor Secretary, Whats wrong with
giving an employer the right to fire
Communists or other subversive In.
dividuals?"
Mr.. Schwellenbach replied by say
ing that when he first took over the
Labor Department job nearly two
years ago he established commits
tee to ferret out Communists be-
cause he thought the department
was one place they were likely to
set up business.
He declared it was very difficult
to determine whether an individual
actually was a Communist because
zone of the first lessons a Commu-
mist learns is to lie and deny he is
q Communist. It is almost impos-
sible to determine whether a man
Is one"
Despite those difficulties Of de-
termination, Secretary Schwellen-
bach said six persons in his depart
ment had been discharged for Com
munist activity. The Federal Blu.
reau of Investigation assisted in
the search.
When it Is so difficult for the
United States Government to find
q Communist" Mr.. Schwellenbach
said, "how can an employer be ex-
pected to reach a fair decision on
the matter?" ,...
Opposes Singing Out Labor.
A little later Mr.. Schwellenbach
asked again:
why should we recognise the
Communist Farty In the United
States-allo them to elect officers,
such as mayors and members Of
Congress-when the party has for
Its purpose the overthrow Of the
Government OF the United States?"
Mr.. Schwellenbach told reporters
later that he thought it was the
wrong approach for Congress to
single out labor and to say a Com
munist could not belong to a union
and still make it possible for them
to be elected mayor or tc any other
Office"
Among other labor restrictions
proposed in legislation before the
committee, Mr.. Schwellenbach op-
posed mass picketing Of plants and
said he did not think foremen or
supervisory employees should be al
lowed to belong to the same unions as
rank and file workers Of an industry.
He said he was not opposed to fore
men joining unions and bargaining
for better working conditions so long
as the union was independent Of any
organization of production workers.
Senators Work on Bill.
The Labor Secretary made his first
appearance before the House COM
mittee which apparently intends to
draft labor bill with many more
restrictions on union activity than
the Senate Labor Committee. Chair
man Taft called the latter group
into an initial executive session this
afternoon to begin writing a bill.
Their public hearings ended Satur-
day.
Paul NJ. Herzog, chairman Of the
National Labor Relations Board,
which administers the Wagner Act,
was to follow Secretary Schwellen-
bach on the stand.
Mr.. Schwellenbach, in urging Con-
gress to go slow in changing labor
law, said the processes Of free coll
lectiye bargaining, dormant during
the war, are being re-learned by
labor and management. He said 1t
could, be safely said the number Of
(work stoppages in 1947 will be
drastically reduced from the number
that occurred in 1919"
Mr.. Schwellenbach declared some
OF the many measures before the
House would bring bargaining be-
tween employers and employees to a
near complete halt.
Foresees Fewer Disputes.
There is every reason to believe, !"
he said, that II labor and manage.
ment are given a reasonable oppor-
tunity to work out their problems
between themselves, we will not have
q repetition Of the tensions and dis
pukes Of the last quarter Of 1915 or
the first three quarters Of 1896"
He foresaw industrial chaos" for
months should Congress order i'm
mediate outlawing Of the closed
shop and other forms Of union se.
curity.
If Congress should decide to ban
closed shop, union shop and main
tenance Of membership contracts,
the Secretary said, the legislation
should be confined to new contracts
or first time agreements within a
plant. Unions would say that the
whole of contracts are reopened, he
added, II closed shop provisions Of
existing contracts are voided.
R..Il>L:~