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actually wanted, or needed, or could deal with. It might hurt the labor movement, as well as hurt the whole structure of our democratic society.
The President didn't think too much of this idea of the National Labor Relations Board. He never lifted a finger to put the act through the Congress. That I know. He never did a thing. He hoped it wouldn't pass - at least, so he said to me, and I'm pretty sure he meant it because he never lifted a finger about it. Certainly I never lifted a finger. As the Secretary of Labor I did not appear to testify before any of the committees of Congress on this measure until the very last week.
In the meantime, I talked with a great many labor people. The labor people all took the view that they wanted it in the Labor Department, although by this time they didn't really care where they had it. They had gained great membership out of the application of Section 7(a) of the NRA. That was really wonderful because it gave them a great chance to get a big organization. If 7(a) was going to be made a part of the permanent law of the land, they were for that, because it would give them such a good grip on the drive for membership.
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