Evening star., 1941-12-09
Labor's Non-Partisan League,


the organ of the c. I. O., mean
while has delivered scathing
attack on the Smith bill, and on
Representative Smith OF Vir-
ginia, and on the majority OF
the House membership for pass
ing that bill. 1t calls the meas
ure "the Smith slave labor bill"
and charges that Mr.. Smith is
merely a tool of the National
Manufacturers Association.
The C. I. o. is now bending
every energy to prevent the
passage by the Senate of any of
the provisions of the Smith bill
and to prevent the passage OF
any legislation at all dealing
with strikes. Not only is the G.
/ o. striving to show Senators
that 1t Is not to their political
interest to support the Smith
bill or any of its provisions, but
it is saying to those members of
the House who had the temerity
to vote for the Smith bill against
the wishes of organized labor
that they are in for bad time
when election day rolls around
next year.
The statement issued by labor's
Non-Partisan League says, in this
regard: The House of Represent
atives, by a vote of 252 to 1856,
surrendered its sovereign func-
tions of government to the Ma
tional Association of Manufac-
turers, when it enacted the Smith
slave labor bill . = On the vote
so per cent of the Democratic
members of the House and 80 per
cent of the Republican members
joined the Smith-N. A. NJ. bloc to
enact this vicious bill. Voting for
labor were only 40 per cent of
the Democratic and Is per cent
of the Republicans. 1t is vital for
labor to realize that the vote on
this bill is the test vote of the
session. Regardless of how MEM
bers Of Congress may have voted
before, q vote for the Smith bill
was a betrayal Of labor that can
not be condoned. Members Of
Congress who lined up with the
N. A. M. on this key vote deserve
to be rebuked at the polls. The
voting record on the Smith bill
has been published by labor's
Non-Partisan League and Is
available for distribution"
Wilson's Action Recalled.
And so the c. I. o. Is swapping
the whip over the backs Of men,
bers OF Congress.
Almost at the same time that
Japan was launching a devastat-
ing attack on Pearl Harbor. the
Presidents board to arbitrate the
closed shop issue in the captive
coal mines was writing q 2-to-1
decision that the demands Of
John L. Lewis for q complete
union shop-the same thing as
closed shop-should be in order
in those mines. So Mr.. Lewis wins
the victory which he set out to
win. Expediency governs again in
the settlement of labor disputes
as it did in the settlement of the
threatened railroad strike, when
another board Of the Presidents
granted concessions which 1t said
were not wise.
The actual existence Of war
may have the effect Of halting
strikes In defense and essential
plants. But whether 1t does or
not, there are members OF Con-
.9ress who insist that the country
should not be left ir q position
to suffer from stoppages Of work
ordered by individual labor lead
ers. The actual existence Of war
may bring home to those who
would strike that they may be
faced with choice between being
taken into the military service if
they halt work on essential pro-
duction. That was choice
which the late President Wood
row Wilson gave such strikers in
the last WARMTH considerable
effect.