The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-02-26
SENATE PUTS LABOR DEPT.
 BILL ON PAN
Measure Heavily Attacked Thoroughly Amended
 in Upper House

The bill creating a Territorial De- partment Of Labor is sponsored by nonresident Unions "tC build up the smokescreen or clo k behind which these forces are dominating Alaska industry and discriminating against Alaska workers w. C.. Ar uCld of Ketchikan asserted today in speaking against Senate Bill No. l3 during it's second reading consider aticn in the upper house.
 The Ketchikan lawyer said the de- mand for the bill arose in a recent meeting here of what was called an all-Alaska labor convention" and which was run by three men from Seattle, the heads of fishing unions, an three of whom were recently ex- pelled from the Washington State Industrial Council
 Arnold said the expulsion from the CIO organization was because of communistic sympathies and activi- ties. though Frank Chinella, who spoke a few minutes later, asserted the three were not expelled. but found themselves on the outside be cause there happened to be little fight within the Council as to who was going to be. head man.
 Not Communists, Claim
 Chinella, local Union representa- tive, said no court had determined that the three were Communists
 Arnold said the question which needs answering is whether the Ter ritorial Labor Department would be another arm of the Bridges-Lun- 1eberg- Beck machine" or whether it would be for the protection of the Alaska working man
 He said the bills passage is sought by persons engaged in subversive ac-' tivities and opposed to the Ameri- can form of government. s..-,.,
 The problem of the canned salmon industry, which organization he re- presents, would not be measurably increased by the passage of the bill, Arnold said, because we're already dominated by these influences, but why spread them to the rest of Alaskan"
 Safeguards Asked
 Safeguards are required in the act, he said, to insure that the Com missioner of Labor would protect Alaska labor from outsiders and withhold the services of the Depart nent from subversive groups
 T don't think anybody in this Senate feels any good purpose would oe served by establishment of this 1gency." Arnold said He asserted t would duplicate the facilities of other agencies, notably the Health Department in the matter of sani- ation requirements.
 Denying the bill was sponsored by outsiders, Chinella said that every 1ne who has ever had to work in AL ska knows the need for a Depart nent of Labor. He asserted such a Department could save the Territory, ts industries and it's workers "a good many thousands of dollars"
 ArnCld Attacked
 Chinella referred to Arnold as the representative of outside interests, outside capital"
 Now that outside unions have organized and are able to get a iecent wage, our friend the Judge wants to deal only with resident lnions," Chinella declared This subversive and fifth column talk s part of campaign to down la DOT wherever labor tries to show it's head
 Senator o. D. Cochran attacked she bill as accomplishing no real purpose for the Territory" He said ohe existing Department of Mines vas thoroughly able to enforce the purposes for which the act is in tended and that if it is necessary an increased appropriation should De made for the Commissioner of Mines for this purpose.
 Lobbying Alleged
 T undertake to say there is e particular candidate for the office of Commissioner of Labor, who is now lobbying for this bill, and that $ the underlying force back of it. Cochran declared.
 Senator Norman R. Walker, au- thor of the bill, retorted that he 1t least had not been approached oy anyone seeking the position and hat if he had he would not be supporting a bill to benefit an in- iividual
 An amendment by Walker to ex- tend the bill to cover mining, not now included, died for want of a second
 Defeated five to three was an amendment by Senator c. H. (Ala- bam) LaBoyteauX, which would have made the Commissioner of Mines ex officio Commissioner of Labor with