if they have any sympathy and appreciation for the social potentialities of what we know as the Labor Movement, without being convinced that it is indeed a privilege to be an officer of the Board of the rank I occupy. I would appreciate some word on the matter of space and a new stenographer. From a personal viewpoint, the request on reimbursement for necessary expenses is of course urgent, and I hope that the Board has some provision that can be made for that situation. I have written to Al Rosenberg about the matter of witnesses for the hearings, telling him that I had been in town such a few days when I received your first request that I was unable to give any list that would have meaning. However, since then, I have been fairly fortunate in meeting organizers despite the fact that many of them, both AFL and CIO, have been in Madison fighting the reactionary legislation that apparently is going through. Incidentally, I have three instances within the first week or ten days that I was in the office, of organizers, both AFL and CIO, coming into the office and letting me know that they really ran things around this neck of the woods. I took care of that situation and they are my friends, but I believe they won't make any more such statements to me. I have had a number of new experiences, even to speaking over the radio for half an hour, a couple of weeks ago (on the Act, of course) and I have gotten through all of them. I may have other problems about the office that I will write to you about later when my conclusions are more definite than they are today. JGS/fsb JOHN G. SHOTT. Twelfth Region JUNE 7, 1939. Office Memo No. 6. To: The Staff Att: Regional Attorney. From: John G. Shott, Regional Director. Subject: Bargain Hunting at Companies charged with unfair labor practices, or involved in R proceedings. In line with my remarks on this topic at the Staff meeting Monday, June 5, I again wish to call your attention to a statement made at that meeting. It seems that in some cases where examiners and attorneys have settled cases after negotiations with company officials, that our representatives have made purchases from the respondent companies with whom they had been having negotiations. As a matter of fact, these dealings are not improper in any strict sense, and there is no reflection intended on any member of the staff for engaging in such transactions. For our own protection, however, I believe that it is of importance that the practice be discontinued and it should be unnecessary to point out the ease with which a company official might discredit an official of the Board by misrepresenting the commercial transaction entered into at the time the Board agent concerned was negotiating to effect compliance. In view of the Board's stand on the propriety of Board agents accepting gifts from Unions (M-316) there seems little doubt that the Board would not be pleased to learn of such transactions by its representatives in the circumstances I have described. J. G. S. JGS/fsb INTER-OFFICE COMMUNICATION JUNE 22, 1939. To: John G. Shott, Twelfth Region. From: Nathan Witt. Subject: Doris Berger Hursley, Applicant, Thiensville, Wisconsin. Mrs. Hursley has applied for a position with the Board. She states that she has talked to you and to Messrs. Mett and Komaroff. Will you give me a report on her containing not only your judgment, but the judgment of any other of our people who know something about her. N. W. TWELFTH REGION JUNE 26, 1939. To: John G. Shott, Regional Director. From: I. Komaroff. Subject: Doris Berger Hursley. In answer to your request this morning, I hereby am giving you my impressions and whatever information I have on Doris Berger Hursley. Doris Berger Hursley is a married woman of about 40 years of age. I believe she has had the following academic education: 1. A B. A. University of Wisconsin degree; An M. A. University of Wisconsin degree; A B. L. Marquette University degree. 2. I believe she can point to the following experience: (1) Two years' experience teaching at the University of the Philippine Islands; (2) Five years' experience as a reporter on the "Milwaukee Leader" and as a free-lance writer; (3) Five years' experience as an attorney for a prominent Milwaukee real estate and mortgage company; (4) Four years of private law practice; (5) Three years as an examiner in the Unemployment Compensation De partment of the State of Wisconsin. Mrs. Doris Berger Hursley has a thorough understanding of labor problems and of the local political and labor situation. As a daughter of Mr. Victor Berger and Mrs. Meta Berger, she has lived her entire life closely associated with the labor movement and has been intimately acquainted with the political situation. She is an exceptionally capable and intelligent woman. It is my personal opinion that her academic training, her legal experience, and general understanding and background eminently qualify her for a position either as an attorney for the Board or a field examiner. I believe it would be advantageous to obtain a copy of the application blank she filed with the Board so that you may have an exact statement of her training and experience. I am only slightly acquainted with Mrs. Hursley, having met her socially only on two occasions prior to the time that she talked to me here in the office last week about getting located with the Board. I know very little about her qualifications for a position as attorney or field examiner with the Board other than what Mr. Komaroff says, namely, that she is very good. At a party at Mr. Komaroff's house last Saturday night, Mrs. Hursley showed me a copy of the letter she had written to Mr. Witt, making application for the vacancy created by Consedine's transfer to Chicago. Upon reading the letter, I told her I thought the letter had a decidedly improper tone about it. She agreed with me that it was a saucy little note but hoped that it would be so individual that it would get some attention. After further discussion Mrs. Hursley remarked that she better stick where she is and where she known what she has, namely the Unemployment Compensation Department of the state of Wisconsin. Mrs. Hursley has a fair personality and is quite sociable. I know her to be exceedingly frank even to the point of provoking animosity in pursuit of her philosophy of being frank. From what has been told to me by Mr. Komaroff and from what I know of her activities, I am led to believe that she is very liberal and has the right slant on labor problems. When she talked to me here at the office last week, she intimated that she was primarily interested in getting on the legal staff with the Board here in Milwaukee and only secondarily interested in becoming a field examiner here in Milwaukee. Mrs. Hursley is a good mother and is extremely devoted to her husband and children and would find it very difficult to leave town to pursue her duties as a field examiner or attorney. Knowing as little as I do about her education, training, experience and other qualifications for a job as attorney or field examiner, I am not in a position to recommend Mrs. Hursley. FPM*EH (copied June 30, 1939) FREDERICK P. METT. TWELFTH REGION OCTOBER 24, 1939. To: Robert R. Rissman, Attorney, 13th Region. From: John G. Shott, Regional Director. I am writing to H. Blankenhorn relative to release M-1033. I have advised him that you will supply him directly with the required data on your activities for the La Follette Committee. Very truly yours, JGS/fsb JOHN G. SHOTT. TWELFTH REGION OCTOBER 24, 1939. To: National Labor Relations Board, Att: H. Blankenhorn. In response to the first inquiry in your October 20th memorandum, I wish to advise you that a search of our files bearing on services which any of the employees attached to this office have rendered the La Follette Committee does not show any report made by the Regional Director, Regional Attorney, or any other employee to the Secretary on services rendered to such Committee. I am attaching a copy of a telegram sent by Mr. Clark to the Board under date of October 21, 1936, mentioning the services of Mr. Robert Rissman, and a copy of a letter to the Board under date of September 7, 1936, from Director Clark mentioning certain aspects of the La Follette Committee work. Mrs. Bronson and Mr. Mett have advised me that the files on the matter relating to Mr. Rissman's services for the Committee are in the possession of Mr. Rissman. I am writing a note to Robert Rissman, Attorney, Chicago, requesting that he forward you copies of any reports that he made to the Board either directly or by Mr. Clark in these matters. I call your attention to the fact that Field Examiner Frances Wheeler has served on the Committee prior to reporting to this office for work on March 29, 1939, and that she is now engaged in work for the La Follette Committee in California having left this office October 3. I am not acquainted with the nature of the arrangement by which Miss Wheeler works with the Committee nor have I at any time made any reports to the Board thereon. I am not acquainted with the number of days that Miss Wheeler was engaged in work for the Committee, and I am sure that Mr. Rissman is in better position than I am to furnish that data on himself since he apparently took the files covering his activities with the Committee with him to Chicago. Enclosures Twelfth Region JOHN G. SHOTT. DECEMBER 22, 1939. To: Mr. John C. Shover, Director of Personnel. re vacancies in Legal Staff. Pursuant to the above, I should like to call your attention to a Mr. Nathan F. Pasch, whom Mr. Mett has interviewed, and whom Mr. Mett considers a likely candidate for appointment to the Board's Legal Staff. Mr. Pasch made formal application for a position on the Board's Legal $41 at the Washington Office in the months of May and June of this year. connection with his application, he was granted interviews by Dr. Leisersn Messrs. Witt and Emerson. He advised Mr. Mett that the Board now has its files full details as to his training and qualifications. When Mr. Pasch cal's on Mr. Witt, he submitted to the latter a letter of introducion and recomme» à ion from Dean Lloyd K. Garrison, of the University of Wisconsin Law Sch This letter should appear in the Board's files. In the same, Dean Garris writes in part: "He (Pasch) did some special work for me and did it extremely well, show. a great deal of initiative, thoroughness, care and dependability. He has unusually mature and well balanced judgment and a fine character a personality." Mr. Mett advises me that his interview with Mr. Pasch confirmed Dean Garr: son's warm recommendation and that he has no hesitancy whatsoever in strong recommending Mr. Pasch for a position on the Board's Review Staff. I have additional persons to interview, and will forward a report on suc interviews next week if possible. To: John G. Shott, Regional Director. Mr. Keirnan definitely expressed anti-Negro (designated as "Niggers" and "Shines"), anti-Italian (designated as "Dagoes"), and possibly anti-Semitic opiz ions. His was the conservative southern attitude as to the Negroes, at the same time applying that they were all liars. A Republican with some liberal tendencies, he publicly, albeit somewhat jocularly, inveighed against the government as to its tax policy and bureaucracy, especially, however, in regard to Kansas City stockyards. 2. Conduct of the Case. Mr. Keirnan exhibited a petulance against the slow-moving course of the re spondent's counsel which exceeded reasonableness at times. In cross-examining one of respondent's witnesses, he showed near the end of the hearing a lack of knowledge of the case which was astounding to both respondent's counsel and myself. He did not get the names of the three individual complainants correct even at the last day of the hearing and kept referring to them anonymously. Except for above, he did, nonetheless, conduct the hearing in a firm and what appeared to be judicial manner and received the express accolades of counsel for respondent on various rulings. 3. Other Observations. He persisted in being too chummy with Board's counsel in so small a town, but outwardly did maintain, I believe, the appearance of voluble impartiality. MORRIS L. FORER MLF AC Twelfth Region JUNE 13, 1939. To: John G. Shott, Regional Director. From: Morris L. Forer, Attorney. Subject: Trial Examiner Joseph F. Keirnan, Algoma Net Company, XII-C-419 Because of his expressed anti-Negro sentiments, it might be desirable that Mr. Keirnan, no matter how liberal and impartially disposed otherwise, should not sit in cases in the South where large segments of the Negro population are involved. MLFAC MORRIS L. FORER. Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company: Twelfth Region To: Mr. John G. Shott. Files. Subject. Allis Chalmers Mfg. Co., XII-R-40 (R-215), XII-R-194. 6-22-39: Talked to Mr. Story today about the undisposed portion of XIIR-40 (R-215). Story stated, in answer to what his position was in the matter, that his position was the same that it had been for sometime now-that we should not consider XII-R-40 as open or undisposed of in any of its phases; that a contract was consummated with the union last year on the basis of the certification of the production unit which saved the rights of the union, at any time, to go before the Labor Board in a proceeding de novo for a redetermination of the question of the appropriate unit; that the company has just concluded collective bargaining negotiations with the union for a contract to supersede last year's contract, which present contract, although not as yet reduced to writing and signed, also saves the rights of the union to go ahead en de novo proceedings for a re-determination of the appropriate unit. Story waxed slightly hot about the Board's "sticking its nose where angels fear to tread" and "butting in to a situation on its own motion where the union apparently is not ready, as yet, to go ahead." He stated that if and when the union was ready to open the question of appropriate unit it had every right to do so, by a new proceeding, and that be would take position for such approach rather than going ahead on the XII-R-40 basis. I assumed Mr. Story that we were not doing any extra curricular snooping, were merely calling him to find out about a matter which was carried on our books as an open case and, further, to get from him an impression as to his present relationship with the U. A. W. A. In other words, a picture of the atmosphere at Allis Chalmers. I told Story that from what I knew things were apparently calm and peaceful on the Allis Chalmers front. He stated that I didn't know anything. Began talking about ill bred and unintelligent leadership, etc. I told Mr. Story, before closing my conversation with him, that we would get in touch with the union to find out what its wishes were in the matter. I did not at all discuss with Mr. Story the issues raised in the petition, XII-R-194. FPM: MB Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company: To: Files. Twelfth Region JANUARY 20, 1940. From: F. P. Mett, Regional Attorney. Subject: Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, XII-R-160. Telephone conversation between Mr. Mett and Attorney Frank A. Murphy of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Mr. METT. I am calling you about the petition on file in the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company case. You were in here on this case a little short of a year ago. You were advised at the time of the reasons why we Couldn't go ahead on the petition. We are now following the practice of cleaning our books in matters where we are obviously unable to go ahead. Would like to get them all off our books. Mr. MURPHY. You mean we should withdraw the petition. Mr. METT. You will not be prejudiced in any way by doing that. Mr. MURPHY. Are you afraid of the Congressional investigation? We Mr. METT. No. But the Board receives on an average of three or four hundred reports in a week. Somebody has to work on these: each report has to be looked at, and filed, and docketed, making a lot of clerical work. Mr. MURPHY. I will take it up with my clients: I doubt that they will do it. Mr. METT. It is easier if you request it to be withdrawn without prejudice. Mr. MURPHY. I will take it up with my clients in the Wednesday meeting. |