Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-06-09
Congress Has a Chance
To End War Plant Strikes


ON DEC ;, 194l-four days before the Japanese at
~ tack on Pearl Harbor the House of Representatives
PASSED BIZ vote of two to one bill sponsored by Rep
Howard Smith Of Virginia to abate abuses in organized
labor and TO PREVENT STRIKES IN THE WAR IN
DUSTRIES.
The administration would not allow the Senate to
pass che bill.
The measure was choked off in the obedient Senate
committee on education and labor
If that bill had been enacted by Congress and approved
BY the President, HUNDREDS OF STRIKES in the war
industries would not have occurred; and among the
strikes that would have been prevented THE COAL
STRIKE WHICH JOHN L. LEWIS HAS BEEN CON-
QUOTING.
PRIMARILY, THEREFORE,, THE ADMINISTRA-
TtON ITSELF MUST BEAR THE BLAME FOR THE
COAL NINE STOPPAGE, FOR THE DEMORAIIZlNG
LOSS OF SEVERAL MILLION TONS OF ESSENTIAL
FIEI. AND FOR THE SHOWDOWN AND THREAT
ENED SHUTDOWN OF THE NATIONS GREAT
STEEL. MILLS.
The administration now has its chance to redeem
itself and 10 prevent recurrence of the recent crisis
For the House of Representatives has again passed,
by virtually two to vote bill embodying most OF
the provisions of the original Smith bill.
Moreover as the Senate had passed previously the
Connaly BILL greatly inferior measure, the Smith Dill
has now gone conference between the two houses of
the Congress- instead of being secreted again in pot-
cally subservient Senate committee
BVIOUSLY the Senate conference committee should
" accept the Smith bill without delay the Senate
should pass at and the President should quickly
sign it.
If this is done the President will again have on
his busy hands such to the whole effort as
the Lewis coal strike been and for this the President
both a adip0lv orataf
Some organized labor leaders bitterly opposed to
the Smith bill because they put their selfish interests
above the interests of America in war as in peace
The Smith bill will properly deprive them of some Of
their arbitrarily exercised power
THEY WILL NOT HEREAFTER BE ABLE TO
CALL STRIKES UNLESS THEY ARE AUTHORIZED
TO DO so BY A VOTE OF THE UNION MEMBER
SHIP.
No honest labor leader should object to that pro-
vision.
n AbICALS and labor bosses are always demanding
N industrial democracy"
Here it is-the real thing, too-ready for them in
the Smith bill!
THE SMITH BILL WOULD ALSO MOST REASON
ABLY REQUIRE ALL LABOR UNION OFFICIALS TO
FILE RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR
THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.
This will interfere" only with LABOR UNION
RACKETEERS, and will protect the true interests of
union labor itself.
The International Ladies Garment Workers Union
to cite example now makes full financial statements
voluntarily and publishes these statements and this great
union benefits by the practice.
All other unions would benefit by it equally.
THE SMITH BILL. FURTHERMORE, WOULD
PROHIBIT LABOR UNIONS FROM CONTRIBUTING
TO POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FUNDS.
Under the Corrupt Practices Act, business corpora
tons and organizations under this kind of
hbition.
Plainly, the same restriction should be imposed by
law upon labor-and for the same reasons.
Indeed this vital reform goes right to the core of the
very dilemma which has confronted and embarrassed the
New Deal on all of its labor front"
r THE NEW DEAL ACCEPTED. IN A PRESIDEN-
TIAL CAMPAIGN, A 100000 CONTRIBUTION OR
loan FROM JOHN l.. LEWIS. OUT OF THE FUNDS
OF THE UNITED NINE WORKERS, AND JOHN L.
LEWIS HAS NEVER LET THE NEW DEAL FORGET
THAT FACT.
With the Smith bill made a law, no political party
may again be sold out to labor boss.