Evening star., 1947-08-20

Labor Relations
Board members
that he did not
have to re-ap- David Lawrence.
point them next January after their
recess appointments expire. This
was In connection with another
statement by the President that the
board was considered by him an
executive" agency responsible to
him.
The implication was that, since
Congress had declined to confirm
the new members of the board and
would In effect watch them in the
next several months, so also could
the President DO some watching
and refuse to send in the nomina-
tions when Congress reconvened.
The International Association Of
Machinists, in a statement by its
president in the unions weekly
newspaper, declared that a small
group in Congress, led by Senator
Ball OF Minnesota, has seized con-
troll over the supposedly impartial
machinery Of the new National
Labor Relations Board and are US
ing 1t In a campaign to break up
trade unions in this country"
Remark Iaterjected.
Mr.. Truman Is reported to have
said 1t was all right for the re-
organized NLRB to cooperate"
with the congressional committee
but that 1t should interpret the new
Taft-Hartley Act itself and ignore
all attempts at dictation. 1t was
presumably at this point that the
President interjected his remark
about what he could do with respect
to reappointments.
Nothing OF this sort Of intimida-
ton has come in a long time from
the White House-not, in fact, since
the days of President Coolidge, who
appointed a member Of Federal
board and asked him to leave his
signed resignation with the Presi-
dent at the same time.
Mr.. Truman's action in endeavor-
ing to pass judgment on the extent
to which a congressional committee
may or may not confer with mem
bers OF a Federal board or investi-
gate its rulings is surprising usur-
patton of power.
Another incident of this kind oc-
Cured in the Roosevelt Admins
tration about four years ago, when
the Treasury Department, acting on
White House orders, refused to fur
fish certain data needed by congress
sional committees with respect to
the operation of the tax laws. Con-
gress finally passed law specifically
requiring the Bureau OF Internal
Revenue to furnish to joint COM
mittee OF Congress regularly GER
tain data about tax rulings and de-
"cisions and the background thereof.
It went further and, under a law
still in effect, the Bureau Of Inter
nal Revenue must submit for the
examination OF the staff Of the joint
congressional committee on internal
revenue all awards for refunds OF
taxes in excess Of $4,000. When
they are cleared by the joint COM
mittee. they are then put through
the final process for authorization OF
payment. The staff Of the committee
keeps a man at the Bureau OF Inter
nal Revenue almost all the time.
Right Of Congress.
Congress has the right to tell any
board or commission what 1t shall
do with It's information. The joint
Committee on Internal Revenue
does not, of course, attempt to in
fiuencs rulings, but 1t often confers
with representatives of the bureau
after rulings have been made and
makes concrete suggestions as to
how various types of problems may
be handled. The bureau can, II II
likes, disregard the suggestions, and
Congress can legislate on them II
1t likes.
The new Hartley Law sets
I'D the joint committee on labor
MANAGEMENT relations, consisting OF
seven members OF each house who
are members of the House and Sen
ate labor committees, respectively
The law specifically says the com
mittee, acting as a whole or by sub
committee, shall conduct~a thor
ough study and investigation OF the
entire field of labor management re-
lations, including but not limited to
the administration and opera
ton of existing Federal laws relat-
ing to labor relations =. the inter-
nal organization and administration
of labor unions the means py
which permanent friendly co-opera-
ton between employers and en-
ployes and stability Of labor rela-
tions may be secured throughout the
United States"
II, as a result Of Mr.. Truman's
orders, the new National Labor re-
lations Board members are afraid to
confer with the joint committee
and its staff and to discuss their
problems and experiences frankly
because of a fear that they may not
he rsappointed, then Congress will
he thwarted in its efforts to find out
how the law is actually operating
~ that proper amendments can be
leqislated. It will then be Mr.. Tru-
man who will be held responsible
for attempting to sabotage the new
labor law as well as congressional
efforts to get the facts. A with
draval of the threat against re-
appointment will be necessary Il
Mr.. Truman Is to get any OF tht
new members confirmed by the
Senate in January, for 1t will be as
sunaed that they are taking orders
from him instead OF from the man
date of the law in Its relation to The
Joint congressional committee
duties.
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