Evening star., 1950-04-04
Taft Sees Truman Plan
To Reorganize NLRB
As Move 10 Nu||ify Act
By Jones Y. Newton

Senator Taft. Republican, Of
Ohio, charged today that Presi-
dent Truman's plan to reorganize
the National Labor Relations
Board is part of a general plan
to nullify the Taft-Hartley Act"
The Senator was the first witness
before the Senate Expenditures
Committee which opened hearings
on Mr.. Truman's proposal to abol-
ish the independent Office Of gen.
eral counsel in the NLRB and
transfer its powers to the five
member board itself.
Senator Taft attacked the plan
as "an attempt to use the Hoover
Commission reports for political
purposes"
Mr.. Truman proposed the change
In setup of the NLRB on March
l3 as part of the general plan to
reorganize Government agencies.
He said it was designed to end
jurisdictional conflict within the
NLRB which sometimes has re-
suited in bitter differences of
opinion between the board and
General Counsel Robert N. Den
ham.
Approved by Committee.
The plan already has been ap-
proved by the House Expenditures
Committee. If neither branch of
Congress disapproves the proposal
within so days from March Is it
will take effect.
Senator Taft told the commit
tee, headed by Senator Mcclellan,
Democrat, of Arkansas, that he
has the following objections to
the Presidents plan:
l. It is not in accord with the
general recommendations OF the
Hoover Commission and is con-
trary to the rule that reorganiza-
tion should not interfere with
substantive questions of policy.
2. 1t is completely unsound.
3. 1t is an attempt by the ad-
ministration to use Hoover Com
mission reports for political pur-
poses.
Organized labor, bitterly critical
OF Mr.. Denham's actions, has ap-
proved the liquidation of the gen.
eral counsel's Office. So have the
five members of the NLRB who
frequently have been in conflict
with Mr.. Denham. Employer or
ganizations have strenuously op-
posed the move.
Taft Reads Hoover Telegram.
Senator Taft read a telegram
from former President Hoover in
which he said the subject of end
ing the two-headed NLRB setup
for administration of Taft Hartley
was never discussed by the Reor-
ganization Commission. However,
proponents of the change have
pointed out that a commission
task force was critical of the dual
administration of the agency.
The Republican leader said the
Presidents idea would load addi-
tional chores on the shoulders of
the already "overworked board"
and hardly could be expected to
create efficiency"
Senator Taft conceded that the
labor relations law which bears
his name is deficient" in that it
docs not spell out the RESPONSE
bilities" of the general counsel
and the five-man board. On one
major point of difference within
the NLRB, the Senator said that
the board and not Mr.. Denham
should determine whether certain
businesses are to be covered by the
law. He conceded that Mr.. Den
hams Interpretation of Inter
state commerce" had been much
too broad"
Senator Ives, Republican. of New
York asked Senator Taft if a year
ago he had not supported aboli-
ton of the general counsel's Office.
The Ohioan said that he had but
that he had taken the position
only in an unsuccessful attempt to
win Senator Ives support for a
labor bill he introduced last year.