EXECUTIVE ORDER 9727

EXECUTIVE ORDER 9727 | Harry S. Truman

Once upon a time, in a far distant past the Chief Executive of the United States did NOT have the power to dribble some ink on paper and single-handedly spend more than a half-trillion dollars.
TRUE power in DC in those days was exercised by the legislature.
Many people credit FDR with creating and exercising power well beyond the scope of his office, but I've always imagined that Wilson (Thomas Woodrow, NOT Edith) was something of a dark horse in that race - both figuratively and literally.

However (comma!)
One of my very favorite very favorite US Presidents took a page from his predecessor's book, figuring that if you can sign a piece of paper and dispossess over 100,000 US citizens of their property and forcibly relocate them, then perhaps, JUST perhaps the POTUS might be able to deal with labor unions and railroads in like manner.
In the 40's.
When Railroads and Unions were BOTH getting a little too big for our own good.

Unions thought that they had the whip hand with a Donkey in the White House.
They thought WRONG.
By threatening to federalize the railroads Truman forced a settlement that neither side was very happy with and started a tradition of federal intervention in lesser railroad squabbles - albeit sometimes moderated by the legislature instead of Presidential fiat.
It was typical 'Harry S." and IIRC after it was all over with one of the political wags stated that "When he walks you can hear his balls clang."

Sadly, when labor did what labor union do, P33 tried it again with big steel with slightly different results.

Railroads, Presidents, and Labor Unions all have a very long history in the US, and all three have changed much over the years and decades.

It might be interesting to see what happens with this latest page of history......for each!