Imperial Valley press., 1941-12-04
A SLAP IN THE FACE
FOR Mr.. ROOSEVELT


A Jolt that probably Jared the intern
al workings Of the federal administration
into nervous hysteria was the 252 to 1}6
roll call vote in the house of representa-
tives in favor of the Smith anti-StIihl
bill. If the bill passes the senate-where-
you can expect plenty of New Deal guns
to be trained against it. undcrcover-
Mr. Roosevelt will be in about the tight
est spot of his political career.
What he does, in that event will dis
close beyond any shadow of a doubt
whether he is willing to sacrifice himself
in the interests of national defense. or f
he would rather sacrifice national dc
fenSe in the political interests of Mr.
Roosevelt.
The Smith bill is humdinger. 1t has
got as many teeth as a bear trap. L
would outlaw practically every unfair.
underhanded trick the labor union rack
eteerS have used up to date in defense
industries Yet. with all that. it does
not take away the right of workers to
strike, nor does it in any way interfere
with any of the real rights of labor. Il
is stringent measure, but a fair one
The bill is not yet law, however. Il
must go through the senate, and thence
to the President for his signature OF
veto. If vetoed il must go back to con-
gress for further action, with passage
over a veto extremely unlikely. The
necessity of having to sign or veto the
measure would make Mr.. Roosevelt eX
tremely uncomfortable If he vetoed it,
the people would know definitely that
he has given nothing more than lip serv-
ice to the cause of protecting national
defense from strikes. If he signed it.
he would lay himself open to the blatant
attacks for which labor racketeerS are
notorious. Until now he has never shown
any disposition to challenge these Ameri-
can termiteS.
In the face of Mr.. Roosevelt's dilemma,
it is virtual certainty that the admins
tration will attempt to amend the bill
into a less toothsome state. if not killed
entirely, before it gets through the SEN
ate.
The only answer to such political man
euvering must be such a tremendous
pressure of public opinion-so many
wires, telephone calls. resolutions and
letterS-that the senate will do as the
house did: take the Wisest course and let
politics go by the board.
THE SMITH BILL REALLY
a BOON TO LABOR
In spite of the howl that will go up
from the labor racketeers-the white
handed vultureS who live upon dues eX-
tOfteQ from unWllllnE unlOn members
the Smith bill will help more than it
will hurt the cause of labor and honest
unionism.
1t is the best thing that could happen
to labor 1t is bad only for the unscrup-
ulous, greedy racketeers who have given
labor unions more of black eye than
all their enemies put together.
Unions have come into bad repute
partly because they have closed many
so-called struck plants by importing
goon squads misnamed picketS. If the
Smith bill passes, all pickets in defense
industry disputes will be bona fide pick
ets-men with a real grievance and not
paid thugs.
Unions have suffered because their
bosses often called strikes where the
workers themselves did not want to strike
Under the Smith bill, every strike will
be one approved by majority Of the
workers in the plant involved. The bill
would return democracy to unionlsm.
Unions have become notorious for the
communists, the bundsts and the eX-cOn-
victs who hold union office. The Smith
bill would clean hOuse-and labor unions
again would be in position to command
general public support
The bill is fair, honest and necessary.
1t shbuld become law. even if every Amer
ican bac tO IUirp his senator nprSOna}lH