"There Ought to Be a Law!"

The outraged U.S. wanted a law against strikes. The President agreed that there would have to be anti-strike legislation. Just as outraged as the public, Congressmen dashed off in all directions at once.*

Among the bills that emerged from the legislative scramble: the Connally bill in the Senate, the Norton bill in the House. Texas' Tom Connally would have the President immediately take over defense industries and freeze labor relations whenever work was interrupted by a strike.

The Norton bill laid down a method for handling disputes by: 1) negotiation, 2) conciliation, 3) mediation. Compulsory arbitration, which was to have been the fourth step, was dropped when spokesmen for both labor and industry strenuously opposed it.

Under the aegis of Georgia's patient, tactful Congressman Robert Ramspeck, the bill would authorize the President to seize a strike-harassed defense plant as a last resort. Ramspeck argued, "I certainly think it is a reasonable, middle-of-the-road bill," but many a fire-snorting Congressman was in no reasonable mood, and Mr. Ramspeck conceded that the Norton bill would not please a lot of them.

Other bills were in the race. The House Judiciary Committee and a Senate Labor sub-committee both were grooming entries this week. There were almost as many ideas for legislation, mild and harsh--mostly harsh--as there were Congressmen.

On the sidelines, industry crossed its fingers, held its breath. Labor scowled and watched. Observers pointed out that making a law and enforcing it are two different things. C.I.O. President Murray had proposed that President Roosevelt call a meeting of manufacturers and labor leaders, have them agree to voluntary arbitration of disputes. But it was probably too late for such councils now. Just what kind of labor law would finally come out of the angry confusion, no one yet dared to predict.

* Apoplectic because Congress had not begun to act until the President gave them a signal, Columnist Westbrook Pegler sputtered: "A sorry counterfeit of a legislative body. . . . You have impaired and damn near destroyed your own prestige and with it the American form of Government."

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