Evening star., 1950-01-12
Chamber Head Asks
Department Of Labor
And Management

AIiu FloIloyclIIeM
Reorganization Of the Labor
Department into a Department of
Labor and Management to Safe
guard the interests of the public"
has been suggested by Herman
w. steinkraus, president of the
United States Chamber of Com
merce.
The suggestion was one Of q
number made by the Chamber of
Commerce spokesman yesterday
at a press conference he held to
discuss the business organization's
reaction to President Truman's
messages to Congress this week.
The messages were termed dis
turbing" by Mr.. Steinkraus be-
cause of proposals for new and
expanding Government activities.
Basically, the objection of Mr..
Steinkraus and the Chamber of
Commerce to Mr.. Truman's pro-
posals are that they are based on
spending and not economy" He
said that, in the economic mes
sage, the word economy was used
"a times, but not even once was
Government economy men
tioned-the kind I'VE need worst
Of all"
Offers Three Suggestions.
Mr.. Steinkraus made three main
suggestions: ID that the Taft
Hartley Law be given a fair
chance" to operate in the labor
management field 90 that a |
comprehensive study be made by
the Government on the question
Of pensions, both public and pri-
vate. and Cd that the Labor De-
partment be reorganized
On the Taft-Hartley law, Mr..
Steinkraus said it represents "our
best efforts to bring outmoded
labor laws up to date" He said the
President apparently has &C
cepted statements that this is a
bad law"
He said the coal situation is an
extremely critical one and, that
the Chamber of Commerce has
embarked on a study to see the
effect on the consumer. On the
basis of incomplete studies, ''it is
critical indeed" he stated. He
criticized President Truman for
not taking action, saying:
IF the people find it critical.
certainly the President also should
find it critical"
Industrial pension developments
pose a problem of first magni-
tude," he continued. '.
Calls for Pension Study.
Pensions for everybody would
require expenditure of billions of
dollars" he declared. "The pen
sion subject should have expert |
study for the benefit of the work
ers Of the country. With the
limited hit or miss knowledge that |
exists today on this subject, COL
lective bargaining on pensions is
going along almost IN the dark"
He suggested that the Govern
ment. working with both labor and
management, make study of the
situation through q commission
similar to the Hoover Commission
which studied the need for re-
organization in the government.
On the Labor Department ques-
ton. Mr.. Steinkraus said the De-
partment was created in 1918 toI
promote the welfare of wage
earners and that labor needed the
assistance then to correct injus-
tices and encourage fair bargain
ing between labor and manage
ment.
This has been accomplished.
he declared.
Change Needed Now.
He said a change is needed
nova change to a Department
of Labor and Management. It's
functions would be to bring
about labor-management peace
and promote the understanding
Of the mutual rights and RESPONSE
bilities Of both labor and manage
ment." Also the new department
would Safeguard the interests of
the public when they are affected
by labor management disputes"
he added.
Mr.. Steinkraus commended
President Truman on his promise
to continue a bipartisan policy for
foreign affairs and his "frankness
Is stating Americas position be-
fore the challenge Of Conimu-
nisrn."
In response to questions, Mr..
Steinkraus did not give specific ex-
amples of where he would suggest
cutting Mr.. Truman's budget re-
quests, but he said economy should
and could be practiced.