Evening star., 1940-12-09
Hoffman Says Unions
Requiring Tributes
Should Be Indicted
Making Job Applicants
Poy Is Called Another
Form of Rucketeerinq'

Representative Hoffman. Repub-
lican. of Michigan told the House to-
day that labor unions which require
applicants for jobs on defense prof.
ects to pay tribute" before going
to work should be indicted for con-
spiracy to defraud and for conspir-
acy to interfere with the defense
program.
"The practice of the unions is just
another form of racketeering," he
declared.
Mr.. Hoffman. who for the last two
weeks has repeatedly appealed TO the
House to take some action to stop
what he describes as exploitation"
of the working man, first called at
tention to story published in The
Star November 20 under the byline
of Robert Bruskin relating to labor
conditions at Fort Meade, Md.
"On November TO-" he said, THE
Washington Star published a story
by Robert Bruskin to the effect that
men seeking work as carpenters at
Fort Meade, Md, were required to
pay tribute to and join a union be-
fore they could go to work on a
Government defense job. The re-
porter also stated that the union
made no inquiry as to the appli-
cant's qualifications as a carpenter
Says Some Couldn't Qualify.
Later, at the demand Of a union
official, The Star retracted the
statement that no inquiry was made
as to an applicants qualifications
| for his job. However, several men
living in the vicinity of Washington
have either told me or written me
to the effect that they knew Of men
working at Fort Belvoir and on other
Government defense projects as car
penters, who never had been car
penters and who could not qualify
as such. >"
Continuing, Mr.. Hoffman said:
| "The practice of the unions is just
another form Of racketeering. There
would seem to be no reason why
those eYtortIng this money should
not be indicted for conspiracy to
defraud and for a conspiracy to
interfere with the national defense
program.
while this country is preparing
through the expenditure Of billions
OF dollars and peacetime conscrip-
ton of men to participate in for
eign war on the theory either of
making the world safe for democ-
racy or of protecting our own free
dom and civil rights it shuts its eyes
and holds its nose while right here
in the shadow of the Capitol men
are walking the streets, seeking jobs
to keep themselves and their fami-
lies from threatened hunger or ap-
pllcation to relief authorities.
Calls Them Racketeers.
The jobs are here. The men are
needed. They are qualified. On one
side of the street are the jobs. Or
the other, seeking TO get them. are
the men. But in between and pre-
venting them going to the jobs
which would support them anc
their families and keep down the
relief rolls are these union rack
eteers. They deny to these mer
their civil rightS-the right to work.
Later, Mr.. Hoffman asked:
What is the difference in effecr
between the man who blows up 6
munitions factory and the men OF
!, organization which bars the gate
against the man who would operate
the plant? The dynamiter is con.
demned on all hands, but those WHIT
accomplish the same thing by com.
pelling the payment of tribute be-
fore one can work on the program
60 uncondemned, unpunished by tn,
administration. The whole pro
cedure is racketeering plain ant
simple"
: Representative Hoffman PLACED
in the record copies of letters h
; said had been received from mel
who sought positions on variou
defense projects. In addition. h,
said L. B. Burkholder Of Fairfax
Va, came into his Office to relat,
his experience
Mr.. Burkholder, according to Nj