Evening star., 1941-02-04

by which such a
serious inStitu- David Lawrence.
ton as the United States Army can
become entangled in the special
privileges and special concerns of
pressure groups. His testimony is
rather naive as, for instance, when
he expressed surprise that the Ford
Motor Co. took exception to the la
Dor compliance clause. This pro-
vision was inserted in War Depart
ment contracts on instructions from
Sidney Hillman, who is on the pay
roll of a c. I. o. union, but never
thelesS runs Government Labor poll
cieS.
The Undersecretary said he didn't
consider the clause particularly
drastic" But he could not be eX-
pected to know that the clause was
inserted for the deliberate purpose
Of embarrassing one Of the bidders
on a public contract and thus max
ing it possible for the contract to 60
to a company which had not bid the
lowest.
The clause had nothing to do
with the quality of the product or
the price Of the goods being bought
In itself any provision which asks
the bidders to assure the Govern
ment they will comply with labor
laws is about as innocent Of its face
as a stipulation that the bidders
will not engage in bribery or do any
one of a number Of things which
law-abiding citizens are not sup
posed to do. But it has a meaning
in labor politics and is form of in
timidation designed to aid unioniza-
ton campaigns.
The War Department which is
supposed to be a non-partisan and
non-politiCal agency could learn all
this readily, but decided to obey the
behest of a labor leader on the Ma
tjonal Defense Commission who in
sisted that a provision be included
in certain War Department con-
tracts submitted to bidders. When
the superfuous language appended
to the contract was not accepted
by the bidder the War Department
without warrant Of law arbitrarily
refused to award the contract to
the lowest bidder
In the old days when the con-
troller generals office was free from
White House influence, this sort of
procedure would have been queS-
toned, but today when all depart
ments and agencies are politically !
controlled no such check on i'm |.
proper use of power is available.
Frank Testimony.
The Undersecretary Of War did
testify frankly that the War De-
partment now was taking dictation
from Sidney Hillman of the Inter
national Garment Workers Union
and that labor clauses suggested by
him were being inserted in contracts
irrespective of how they might in
fiuence the matter of getting prod
ucts at the lowest cost to the tax
payer.
What Mr.. Patterson may learn
after he has been in Washington
awhile is that the United States
Army and the War Department are
no longer independent agencies able
to exercise their own Judgment, but
they must be careful not to offend
pressure groups. Thus the Assocl-
ated Press in a Washington dispatch
this week reveals how important
compulsory unionization has be-
come to the War Department.
"Inasmuch as the Ford manage
ment excepted to the labor clauses
In the defense truck contract, 1t
was not Immediately apparent
whether the American Federation OF
Labor unionization gains would have
an effect on the company's chances
for future orders"
SAYS Tie-ups Are Understood.
The direct tie-up between union
ization and the award of the con-
tracts is we'll understood in WASH
incton and the meaning of the fore
going paragraphs is that the war
Department will doubtless wait to
be advised by Sidney Hillman
whether it is all right to go ahead
now and give orders to the Ford
Motor Co. since the American Fed
Grafton of Labor has announced that
it is engaged in unionizing the two
big plants of the Ford Co.
Despite. therefore, all the proteS-
tations of Senator Wagner OF New
york that the Wagner Act does not
compel man to join union II
he does not wish to do so, it is ap-
parent that an employer cannot be
awarded Government business on
defense unless he accepts the die
tation of union organizers.
In the old days Of special prlVl-
lege in Government, taVorS were
handed out to the biggest contrl-
butors of funds to the campaign, all
of which liberals and radicals de-
nounced as corruption. Ioday'
however, the pressure groups with
the largest influence can make
their desires felt even above any
national defense needs. This IS the
real reason why so many Repubh-
cans are opposing the leaSe-leno
bill
The cry that the President should
be trusted with more power mas
struck a realistic snag because me
powers already existing and plenty
of power which is not written into
env statute is being used for special
privilege groups.
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