Evening star., 1943-05-25
The Political Mill
COP, With Eyes on Election Next Year,
Also May Sidestep Labor Curb Issue

StiOu I\SAt ISuIS
or Curb Issue
place, but also all members Of
the House and a third Of the
members Of the Senate, is just
about year away.
It looks now as though the Re-
publicans, because Of the power
of the labor vote, will side-step
this issue if they can. If the
Republicans in large numbers fail
to vote or vote against the rule
and the bill, it is unlikely it can
pass. This is the situation that
gives the supporters of anti
strike legislation cold shivers.
Would Embarrass President.
Admittedly, during the heat of
the coal strike and Immediately
thereafter, the anti-strike bill,
as amended, could have passed
the House by considerable vote.
The Senate might easily have
accepted the House substitute,
or part of it, and the measure
would then have been sent to the
President for his approval. With
the country feeling pretty sore
over the coal strike and the
threat of its renewal, and with
other strikes in war plants, a
presidential veto would not have
struck popular note.
What the administration hopes
now is that the crisis has passed;
that with the Republicans playing
up to the labor vote the bill will
not be passed and the President
will be spared the dilemma grow
ing out of either having to veto,
sign or permit the bill to be-
come law without his signature.
Whatever he did would make him
enemies.
If the House COP members
60 along with this strategy of the
administration, it may do them
little good. 1t is entirely unlikely
that the labor vote in large per-
centage can be won away from
the New Dealers by any such play
on the part Of the Republicans.
The labor vote will go through
for the President and his support
ers next year-unless like other
voters, the individual labor voters
have become sore with the con-
duct of Government and with
conditions existing in the country,
or they do not like the way the
war is progressing.
Bill Provides Secret Vote.
In the House version OF the
Connally bill, 1t is made unlawful
for an employer to declare a lock-
out in a plant holding a Govern
ment contract, OF for the en-
ployes of such q plant to strike
for a period Of 30 days after a
dispute between the two has
brought about a deadlock. Fur
ther, no strike may be ordered
until secret ballot of all the en-
ployes has been taken, under the
direction of the United States
Cancellation Service. The House
bill provides also for registration
Of unions and full financial re-
ports.
The Hobbs anti-racketeering
bill grew out of a Supreme Court
decision more than a year ago,
which held that the Federal anti
racketeering pill did not cover
members of the Teamsters' Union
who held up trucks entering New
York City and insisted on the
payment Of money to them before
deliveries could be made. The
Connally bill grew out OF the coal
strike engineered by John L.
Lewis.
1t was thought that by referring
the Hobbs bill to the Senate
Judiciary Committee, and not to
the Senate Labor Committee,
which has been the death of other
labor bills passed by the House In
recent years, action could be had
rather promptly on the measure.
The hope has not yet been
realized.