PRESIDENT'S BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1933, Page 11

PRESIDENT'S BOARD

TO PREVENT DISPUTES

AIDING THE PROGRAMME

A National Board of Arbitration, approved by President Roosevelt in a statement issued at hig summer home, was created- by the National Recovery Administration, after several days -oil conferences of the Industrial and Labour Adyisory Boards, says - the "New York Times." Underlying tho formation, of the body was tho fear that, unless some suck organisation was established during tlic war on the depression, strikes and lockouts would throw the nation back to tho jungle method of adjusting industrial disputes. The board, consisting of seven,outstanding leaders of labour, industry, and the public, will conciliate, mediate, and _ arbitrate disputes arising out of differing interpretations of the President's re-em-ployment agreement. The members aro Senator Robert IT. Wagner (chairman), Mr. William Green, Dr. Leo Wolman, Mr. John L. Lewis, Mr. Walter C. Teagle, Mr. ; Gerard Swope, and Mr. Louis E. Kirstein; Its functions will parallel those of another omergeney labour body, the War Labour Board, which, was set up by President Wilson on April 8, 1918. With a, joint announcement of the two advisory boards, describing the establishment of the National Board of Arbitration, went an appeal to labour and industry for a moratorium, on disputes which would impede progress of the President's recovery programme. The advisory boards appealed to employers and employees "to unite inthe preservation of industrial peace," since the objective of overcoming unemployment through, nation-wide reduction in hours and increases in wage rates could only "be reached "through, co-operation on tho part of all those associated witfh industry." In announcing the formation of the board and its approval by President Eoosevelt, General Johnson asserted that the new body's appeal was even more important than "the war-time appeal for harmony between Capital and Labour issued by Samuel Gompers, president of tho American Federation of Labour.'' "WOULD BE FOOLISH." "Strikes and lockouts-at this tinio aro idiotic and foolish,", declared, General Johnson^ "This is an appeal for industrial peace which I am confident will bo heeded by all sides. The purpose is to have labour, in asking for its rights, not to proceed by aggression, and industry, in carrying out its industrial policies, not to act arbitrarily. "Machinery is here set up for the adjustment of industrial disputes in peaceful fashion. This is real progress. '' He pointed out that the new arrangement provided for tho establishment of central and local organisations whose function it would bo to seek an adjustment of disputes and settle them. The national board would hear appeals. Earlier the cotton textile industry established a board of three members, one each for labour and the industry and on.fi appointed by the Recovery Administration, for the adjustment of disputes. Similar machinery, it is understood, is provided for in the cloak and -suit code, which has received the approval of the President. Other industries, from tho smallest plants, mills, and shops to the largest, aro expected to follow the lead of the textile and cloak industries in an endeavour to adjust all industrial disputes. The nucleus of such an organisation for the soft coal industry was embodied in the agreement announced for ending the strike of 50,000 Pennsylvania soft coal miners. Machinery was. set up for a national arbitration board of three members tc hear disputes and grievances arising out of tho torms of settlement. The members of the coal board are Gerard Swopc, Mr. Kirstcin, and Mr. George L. Berry, president of the Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North, America.