Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-02-06
Education For Labor
by M. H. Hedges LPA CoIunnist

The biggest news in Washington from the
labor angle, centers in the hearings on the
Labor Extension Bill, beginning February 16.
These hearings climax more than two years of,
work by the National Committee for the Ex-
tension of Labor Education, numbering 60.
labor leaders and eduction specialists from all
branches of labor and from all sections of the
nation. Hilda w. Smith is chairman
The hearings are expected to bring to
Washington notable persons from universities
labor and industry. William Bait, president of
ski in Philadelphia, well-known industrialist
for employers; William Green, Philip Murray
an Official of the Railway Brotherhoods Presi-
dent Ruthven, University of Michigan, and
many others are to be witnesses. A strong
public opinion supports the bill.
The bill, known as S. 1890, Is sponsored by
Sen. Morse (R. Ore) and Sen. Thomas Cd
Utah). Sen. Aiken (R Vt) is chairman of the
Senate subcommittee holding the hearings.
Thousands of American citizens who have
been interested in labor-management relations,
see in the Labor Extension Bill sound avenue
to better relations through widespread use of
facts and reason. To understand the bill we 4
need to look back to 1862 when the Merrill ActI
was enacted by the Congress.
The Morrill, Act granted aid to state col
eyes by gifts of government land "to teach
such branches of learning as are related to
agriculture on the mechanic arts" The Agri-
cultural Extension Service, a going cencern,
with present appropriations of $42,00O,000 a
year is a model of educative aid to farmers.
Somehow the provision for training of workers
was neglected Labor now moves to repair this
inequity, after 86 years.
PROVISIONS OF BILL
The Labor Extension Bill provides for an
Extension Service TO be set up in the u. S. De-
partment of Labor, but tanning out into all the
states 1t is federal-state set-up. The Secre-
airy of Labor will administer the act, assisted
by national council of labor leaders and edu-
Gators. l each state the governor will appoint
an education board This board will act as a
screening gency to hear requests for extension
services from labor unions and colleges. The q
state board will designate a land grant college
the principal agent of the board in each
state, which in turn may designate other agents.
Each state must match 25 percent of federal
funds.
The first year the bill provides for an all
over appropriation of $10,000000; the second
year $40, 100000; the third year $30,000,000
The suggested sums are modest it is be-
lieved, in view of the fact that the measure
must provide for $4,000, 900 workers as COM
pared to what the Agriculture Department Sc
cures for 100000 farmers.
Little open opposition has developed to the
,ill but there are basic, buried conflicts which
may come to the surface the hearings pro-
ceed
The strong hopes of advocates of the bill
lie in the present situation, precipitated by the
passage of the Taft-Hartley Act. The Labor
Extension Bill product of a united labor =.
movement, is regarded as labor's answer I'd
the universal desire for better labor-manage-
ment relations.