Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
By JAMES Y. NEWTON

Big, Dlunt ana irish James +.
Mitchell has the opportunity of
being the first real Secretary of
Labor in the memory of seasoned
observers OF the Washington scene.
And. from most reports, he Is max
ing good use of the opportunity.
In a little less than two years as
Labor Secretary. Mr., Mitchell has
chalked up two major accomplish
ments, goals which eluded his
predecessors.
/. He has become the undisputed
adviser to the President on mat
tiers of Government labor policy;
and the spokesman for all Fed
eral labor agencies in Mr.. Eisen-
hower's inner councils.
2. He has welded disjointed
collection of bureaus that was the
Labor Department into a cohesive
unit which has assumed direction
that heretofore did not exist.
1t is as a result OF accomplish
ment number one that Mr. Mitchell
may be described as the first real
Secretary of Labor in a long time.
And this should not be interpreted
as rejecting unfaVorably on either
the capabilities or intentions of his
predecessors.
The first Eisenhower Secretary
of Labor, Martin P Durkin, presi-
dent Of the AFL Plumbers Union,
Quarreled with the President and
quit before he had time to find out
much about the job
Strong Executive Interest
Gong back to pye-Eisenhower
times, the people who served
Presidents Roosevelt and Truman,
due to circumstances largely be-
yond their control. were Secre-
taries in little more than name
President Roosevelt fancied him
self as his own Secretary of Labor.
His office door. was ever open to
union leaders, and. in those days,
and during the Truman admins
tration, too, it is probable that more
labor problems were settled at the
White House than were resolved
at the Labor Department.
BY the time President Truman
took over at 1900 Pennsylvania ave-
nue. it was a established rule"
that labor problems we're to be
handled at the White House.
Since he was not so converSant
with labor affairs as was MIR.
Roosevelt. President Truman hired
DR.. John r Steelman, former
Federal mediation chief, to handle
the Job for him. 1t was by no
means DR.. Steelmans only respon-
sibility as assistant to the Presi-
dent. but he did conduct high-level
labor negotiations in his White
House Office. He. also. rather than
the Secretary of Labor, selected the
personnel to man the various Fed
eral labor posts.
Mr.. Mitchell had power"
struggle of his own when he took
over as Labor Secretary, but it was
not with President Eisenhower or
one of his White House aides. Mr..
Eisenhower has given him a free
rein.
Meony's Compliant
The present incumbent had been
in Office only short time when
union leaders. notably AFL Pres
ident George Meany. complained
bitterly that the Labor Department
had become no more than "a bu-
reau of the Commerce Depart
ment"
Mr.. Meany went on to charge
that the conservative employer
viewpoint of Commerce Secretary
Sinclair Weeks was making itself
felt more and more on Eisenhower
administration labor policies. Mr.,
Weeks position was that Com
merce should have an equal voice
in establishing labor policy. since
his department represented en-
ployers who obviously have a stake
in such policy.
Mr. Mitchell went to work,
quietly at first. to recapture con-
troll of the situation. Then, in No
vember, 1853, he shocked Mr..
Weeks and his Commerce stall
warts by telling the CLIO conven-
ton he would lead an administra-
ton effort TO raise the statutory
minimum wage and broaden the
coverage of the Wage-hour law.
Commerce forces we're able to
ward off this program in 1854. But
finally with the recent passage by
Congress of an amendment boost
ing the minimum wage to ST, Mr..
Mitchell won partial victory.
However, he made no effort to con-
ceal his disappointment that Con-
greSS had not seen fit to extend
coVCrage of the wage-hour law to
millions of workers now exempt.
Anti Trust Move
The burly Labor Secretary won
a major victory late last year
when he headed off a move by Mr..
Weeks to have the administration
ask Congress to extend Federal
antitrust laws to cover union
activities. Mr.. Mitchell, however,
has said little about this or any
other difference he may have had
with the Commerce Secretary.
Il construe my job to be the
adviser to the President on labor
policy and labor relations" Mr..
Mitchell says. Il am the CO.
ordinator also Of general policies of