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NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING WASHINGTON, D. G. _
 
VOL. 1 SEPTEMBER,1935 Ne.?
 
MESSAGE TO MEMgERS_ ·
Letters that have come from members of the League ln every state of the unlon 1hd1·
‘"‘ cate apprecfatlon of the first issue of the Bulletin published a month ago. It ls the
hope of our national headquarters that this number may be equally worthy of your generous ’
lnterest. ·
We are gratified to report steady progress 1n membership and lnfluence. Each of you
can do a part oflreal value by asslstfng ln your fndlvldual community in securlng as many
members as possible and ln unltlng those members into a local unit or chapter. The larger
and the more widespread the membership of the League, the greater becomes its opportunity
for useful public service. »
We deeply appreciate what you have done and anticipate a continuance of your enthus-
lastlc and valuable work.
JOUETT SHOUSE
_ President
A LAWEEBS ¤Q¥Nll'£§§.PlQT;Q§ ·
‘ LABOR RELATIONS ACT_lNyALlg
; The flrst report of the League's National Lawyers Committee was released on September
19. It was a declaration that this Committee of 58 of the most promlnent members of the
— American Bar holds the National Labor Relations Act to be unconstitutional because that
.* Act interferes with the 1nd1v1dual freedom of employees, as guaranteed by the Fifth Amend-
*‘”t‘ ment and because 1t represents an attempted invasion by the Federal government of a fleld p
— of legislation not delegated to lt by the Constitution.
`Announcement of the report at\a press conference by R. E. Desvernlne, Chairman of the
National Lawyers Committee; Earl F. Reed, Chalrman of the Sub-Commlttee on Industrial Re-
1 lat1ons and Labor Legislation; and Presldent Shouse attracted nation-wlde attention.
ELCERPTS FROM THE REPORT:
3 "The Act expressly declares that representatives selected by a majority of
. employees in a particular bargaining unit shall be the exclusive representatives
` of all the employees ln that unit, to bargaln with the employer on matters ln-
volvlng wages, hours of work and other condltlons of employment; .......... It ls ,
our belief that this provision of the statute constitutes an illegal interference
with the individual freedom of employees, as guaranteed to them by the Fifth Am-
endment to the Constitution of the United States, which provides in substance·that
no person shall be deprived of l1fe, liberty or property wlthout due process of
2 law. The freedom sanctioned by the Constitution includes the right of each man
; to follow any occupation and to sell his own labor on his own terms ...... . .....
"The Federal government is one of defined and limited powers, without juris-
diction to lntervene ln matters of internal policy. It 1s not a complete sovereign-