Evening star., 1947-02-16
NAM Views Studied
In Senate Hearing;
Labor's S Turn Next
By jones Y. Newton

By james Y. Newton
Top leaders of labor will air their
views on legislation this week before
the Senate Labor Committee, which
yesterday heard the National Asso-I
citation Of Mapufact cturers say that a.
series of union-restricting legislative
steps plus ban on Government inS1
reference in disputes would lead to1
"an era of labor peace previously
unknown"
AFL President william Green will
appear Tuesday before the commit
tee headed by Senator Taft, Repub-
lican, of Ohio. CIO President Philip
Murray will follow on Wednesday.
Another labor "headliner" OF the
week will be Walter Reuther, head
of the CIO United Automobile
Workers, who is scheduled to testify
Friday. John L. Lewis will be one
of next weeks witnesses.
The committee concluded three
weeks of hearings devoted largely to
management's case for new labor
laws with the testimony of Ira
Mosher, chairman of the NAM
Executive Committee. He struck
hard at Government interference in
disputes and said that If labor and
management are given system OF
fair laws" and certain external
obstacles" to good relations are re-
moved, you will see an era of in
dustrial peace such as this country
has never known"
Asks Strike Curbs.
Mr.. Mosher listed among the
obstacles" the closed shop, in
dustry-wide bargaining, and secon-
dairy boycotts. He said he would
have Congress curb "all strikes
which do not relate to wages, hours
or working conditions, and strikes
based on demands which the en-
ployer is powerless to grant"
These include" he continued,
"jurisdictional strikes, sympathy
strikes, strikes to enforce recognition
Of uncertified unions, and strikes
to force 'featherbedding'."
Mr.. Mosher said that under the
closed shop, which prohibits the hir-
ing of any but union workers, "em-
ployers are forced to hire and fire
in the interest Of the union instead
of in the interest of full and efficient
production"
The NAM opposed not only COM
pulsory arbitration Of disputes but
the creation of mediation boards or
labor courts to handle disputes as
proposed in several bills before Con-
greSS.
Direct Negotiation.
Mr.. Mosher asked that Congress
allow management and workers ito
deal directly with each other to
settle their problems right where
they arise II that is done, he added,
you can Immediately discard all
the grandiose proposals that have
been made for Government inter-
vention, super-boards, labor courts,
and expensive labor codes that can
only interfere with the Development
of sound solutions by the parties
themselves
Questioned by Senator Taft on his
objection to even a board en-
powered to mediate and not make
decisions, the industry spokesman
said: ',
I'VE people in the sticks know
that when you create a board with
a Washington halo around it, it
won't work" e..
Mr.. Mosher added, however, that
the Labor Departments Concili-
alton Service should be retained.
Secretary of Labor Schwellen-
bach spoke along the same lines in
a radio talk last night. In opposing
the mediation board idea, he lauded
the Cancellation Service and it's
head, Edgar L. Warren, for the
peaceful settlement last year Of
Is, 900 disputes. He added that in 80
per cent Of the cases where COM
missioners were called in before
work had stopped, no stoppage oc-
Cured"
Mr.. Mosher said the NAM does not
suggest punitive legislation or laws
that would destroy or weaken or
ganized labor
What we propose" he said, sis
the creation of a kind of environ
ment in which management and
labor can meet and discuss and
solve their problems without ex-
ternal interference"
Fears Government Control.
The NAM is opposed to compul-
sorry arbitration he continued, be-
cause it begins by setting wage rates
and will finally wind up by setting
prices, profits, determining man
agement policies as we'll as union
views until Government has COM
plete control and domination of the
economy"
Mr.. Mosher said industry wide
bargaining is close tc industry wide
price fixing and hence is monopo-
listic. A combination of the Sec
ondary boycott with industry-wide
bargaining and the closed shop
makes final and absolute the power
of few persons to wreck the
economy"
Meanwhile, Representative Lands,
Republican, of Indiana, said that
"it's cinch" the House Labor Com
mittee will approve nine major
labor law changes including some
curbs on strikes and picketing. Com
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