Evening star., 1943-06-02
Early Consideration
Of Anti-Strike Bill
Forced in House
Party Lines Crossed
In Vote Bringing Up
Smith -CcnnoIIy Measure
3y the Associated Press.

&os lAe .aoSOSldlCu IICSS
Backers of stiff anti-strike legis-
lation scored victory in the House
today by forcing adoption of Rules
Committee resolution bringing up
for vote the Smith-Connally bill.
Ire roll-call vote. announced as
211 to 163 for the resolution, crossed
party lines, with both Majority
Leader Mccormack of Massachusetts,
and Minority Leader Martin of the
Same State voting for it.
The resolution paved the way for
immediate consideration of the con-
troversial measure, setting aside two
hours for general debate and un-
limited time for discussion of
amendments.
Asserting that John L. Lewis "is
the President" Representative Gore,
Democrat, of Tennessee told the
House that by its action on anti
strike legislation the miners leader
land every other homegrown die
tator must be made amenable to
the law
Representative Cores speech
opened the floor fight over the
Smith Connallv bill to outlaw
strikes in Governments operated
plants and provide for 30-day COOL
ing-off period and a secret ballot
of workers before they could be
called in other war industries.
1t followed refusal of the House
Military Committee on tie vote
to eliminate from the measure the
sections calling for the 30-day no.
tice and the strike ballot.
Ban Appeals to WLB.
The committee overwhelmingly
struck from the bill, however. an
administration opposed provision
giving employees IN Government-op-
Grated plants the right to go before
the War Labor Board to seek pay
raises or changed working condi-
tions. Administration spokesmen said
this provision wou'G put the Gov
eminent in the collective bargaining
fed and might cause employees to
seek Government operation for bar
gaining purposes.
The committee also removed ban
against issuance by the War Labor
Board of closed shop or maintenance
of union membership orders.
Representative Gore told the House
that unless Congress acted imme-
diately Mr.. Lewis will continue to
regard himself above the law, thus
degenerating democracy to moboc-
racy."
Il want to warn the President"
he added, that if John L. Lewis
demands are granted he can count
me out on restrictions on farm COM
modities, or on the little businessmen
of the country
Representative Colmer, Democrat,
of Mississippi urged the House to
approve procedure under which two
hours of general debate would be
allowed before amendments were
offered. adding that under that plan
a final vote could be expected late
tomorrow or Friday.
The sections calling for the COOL
dng-off period, the secret strike vote
and the right of workers in Govern
ment-operated plants to go before
the WLB were opposed by spokes-
men for five Government agencies
yesterday.
Existing Machinery Favored.
All the spokesmen who testified
yesterday opposed these sections.
Led by Secretary of Labor Perkins,
they urged Congress not to inter-
fere with existing machinery for the
settlement of labor disputes or do
anything that might nullify labor's
wartime no-strike pledge.
The no-strike pledge has been ef-
fective in the vast majority of cases,
Secretary Perkins said, though there
were exceptions, and any change
in the present status might jeop-
ardlze war production.
Joining her in opposition to the
bills major provisions were Assist
ant War Secretary John J. McCloy,
Assistant Navy Secretary Ralph
Bard, Howard Vickery, vice chair
man of the Maritime Commission,
and Gerard Reilly, a member of
the National Labor Relations Board.