Evening star., 1943-01-29
Labor Facing Test
OF Strength in House
Move on Racketeers
Judiciary Committee
Votes to Subject Union
To Law Passed in 1884

Organized labor's first test Of
strength in the Seventy eight Con-
gress shaped up today amid signs
that its outcome would furnish
clue as to whether sharp revision
OF present labor laws is in the offing
The impending showdown comes
on a measure approved overwhelm-
ingly by the House Judiciary Com
mlttee yesterday to subject labor
groups to the 1884 Anti -Racketeer-
ing Act by broadening the defni-
tions of robbery and extortion.
The measure was regarded gen
orally in congressional quarters as
pilot bill for ever more far-reach-
ing measures, many of which are
now awaiting committee action.
Series OF Hearings Urged.
Meanwhile, it was learned that
Representative Ramspeck of Georgia,
majority whip, has suggested to
Chairman Norton that the House
Labor Committee conduct a series
OF public hearings Ito clear the air"
Mr.. Ramspeck expressed belief to-
day that the public should be fur
nished a complete picture Of the
labor situation, with the committee
exploring such questions as alb
senteeism and unauthorized slow
downs and strikes.
MFR. Ramspeck, himself a ranking
member of the Labor Committee
declared the inquiry should cover
present and potential manpower
needs to determine definitely wheth-
er the 40-hour standard work week
should be changed.
He asserted that the extent of
labor legislation this year would de-
pend on the attitude of the strength
ened Republican minority.
Closely watching reaction to the
new bill to subject labor unions to
the anti-racketeering laws were both
supporters and opponents OF legis-
1ation introduced by Representa-
tives Colmer, Democrat, of Missis-
sippi and Smith, Democrat, OF Vir-
ginia
Mr. Smith would revise and modify
the National Labor Relations Act to
give employers the right to appeal
board bargaining decisions to the
courts, among other things.
Plans to Draft Strikers.
The Colmer measure would sub
iect those participating in strikes
or sloWdowns In war industries to
immediate induction; make those
responsible for such delays liable to
criminal penalties; increase the
standard work week to 48 hours and
limit profits on war contracts in ex-
cess Of $4,000 to a maximum OF
$4,000.
The measure that received COM
mittee approval yesterday was in
troduced by Representative Hobbs.
Democrat, Alabama. 1t defines ex-
tortion as "the obtaining of prop
erty from another. with his consent,
induced by wrongful use of actual
or threatened force, violence, or
fear, or under color of official right.
1t describes robbery as the unlaw-
full acquisition OF property by
means of actual or threatened force,
vi F1OiCAiSc, VI 3CdA Va
diate or future. :"
q 'T71is bill," said Mr.. Hobbs, 'is
grounded upon the bedrock principle
that crime is crime, no matter who
commits it, and that robbery Is rob-
berry and extortion Is extortion,
whether the perpetrator has union
card in his pocket or not"
Described rs Trial Balloon.
The bills sponsors privately de-
scribed 1t as "a trial balloon to test
the sentiment OF Congress on labor
legislation" One proponent, who
could not be quoted by name, pre-
dicted that If it is passed, 1t will be
followed by other bills requiring
unions to file annual financial state
rnents and to conduct strike votes by
secret ballot of the entire member
ship.
An identical racketeering bill was
approved by the House Judiciary
Committee last year, but was side
tracked by the Rules Committee
after protests from labor leaders
that 1t would outlaw legitimate ac-
tivities.
The 1884 act, aimed at gangsters
and underworld racketeers, makes
robbery or extortion in interstate
commerce Federal offense, but spe-
ciically exempts legitimate labor
disputes from its coverage. This ex-
emption was held by the Supreme
Court to cover the case OF union
truck drivers in New York City who
allegedly halted trucks entering the
city from out Of the State and by
intimidation compelled the truckers
to hire a New York union driver or