Evening star., 1949-02-01
Ching Testimony
Points Up Split
Over Labor Bill
Cancellation Service
Shift Would Be Blow
To Mediation, He Says
By J. A. O'Leory

The disagreement In President
Truman's official family over one
part of his labor bill was empha-
sized today when Cyrus S. Ching
opposed placing in the Labor De-
partment the independent Fed
eral Mediation and Cancellation
Service which he directs.
In calm language and droll hu-
NOR, Mr.. Ching emphasized before
the Senate Labor Committee that
1t was an honest difference of
opinion. He made it clear, never
theless, that he believes the effec-
tiveness Of the conciliation service
would be seriously damaged by re-
turning 1t to the Labor Depart
ment, which is so directly identi-
fled with furthering the interests of
labor.
In defending the transfer yester-
day. Secretary of Labor Tobin told
the committee that as long as he
is Secretary he will strive to serve
all OF the l40,0O0.00O Americans.
Compliments Truman.
After streSSing the point that he
Is speaking only for himself, Mr..
Ching complimentsd Mr.. Truman
in these words:
THE only valid conclusion that
can be drawn from this apparent
lack OF 100 per cent unanimity
among officials of the executive
branch is this: It is fine thing to
have President who recognizes the
value of having divergent views and
opinions IN his administrative fam
lily presented to Congress in order
that it might write the best possible
legislation in the public interest"
Running through Mr.. Ching's
statement was the basic argument
that no matter how disinterested
the Labor Department tried to be.
the presence of the conciliation
service in the department would
create suspicion in the minds of
some employers.
Mr.. Ching's testimony, was sprin-
kled with bits of philosophy like
the following:
"A director who makes enemies,
even when he is in the right. is a
failure, just as surely as a clergy
man is a failure when he antago-
nlzes and can no longer reach by
persuasion the erring members of his
flock
Argument on Size.
He said the only argument he has
heard for the transfer is that it is
necessary to strengthen the Labor
Department. Then Mr.. Chang, who
is more than feet tall, observed
Size, in the case of Government
agencies, as in the case of individ-
uals like myself, does not mean
strength. BY itself it does not nee
essarily confer prestige or authority.
If the department is not as effective
as it should be, and as I fear it
would not be, the department would
not be strengthened and its pres
tige would be impaired"
Before today's hearing there were
reports Mr.. Ching might quit if the
transfer is made The nearest he
came to limiting at that possibility
was when he said many people
have told him the independent serv-
ice has made progress, but that
much of the job remains to be done.
Then he added:
whether I finish it, or some one
else does, is not a burning public
question. 1t is important, however
that the progress made be not lost,
that the job be completed, and that
the mediators of the service occupy
q position in the organization of the
government that will immunize
them from the slightest suspicion
that they favor any interest other
than that of the whole people of the
United States.
"It is my conviction that this re-
quires that the mediators be in an
independent agency"
A Point for independence.
In another part of his statement
Mr.. Ching made this allusion to the
need for keeping the service inde-
pendent:
Show me the judge in the courts
Of the United States most honored
for his objectivity and lack of bias.
That reputation would not survive
the act of sitting on a case in which
former client or a relative is an
interested party. However impair
tial he may be in his own estima-
ton, he is no longer impartial in
(See LABOR, Page AS