Evening star., 1943-06-15
Labor Chieftains Open
Campaign for Veto
OF Anti-Strike Bill
Green and Whitney
Coll on President to
Reject Measure

The anti-strike bill was before
President Roosevelt today-and
labor was clamoring for a veto.
"A letter from william Green, pres
ident OF the American Federation
OF Labor, declared the, measure
Fascist In character" while A. F.
Whitney, president of the Brother
hood Of Railroad Trainmen, tele-
graphed Mr.. Roosevelt that the bill
represents "an attempt to pillory
honest labor"
The Chief Executive has given no
hint publicly Of his attitude toward
the legislation, but Representative
Ramspeck Of Georgia, Democratic
whip, predicted it would be signed.
Green's Message.
THE workers Of our country" Mr..
Green wrote the President last
night, would never become recon-
ctled to this legislation. They would
protest against it and rebel against
Ii in the event it would become the
law Of the land. The representatives
OK all the procurement divisions Of
the Government made it clear to the
members Of Congress that the enact
n1ent of the Connally-Smith bill
would adversely interfere with pro-
duction and to that extent injure
the war sffort. Congress was
moved by anger and feeling when
1t passed this legislation. Such
emotions constitute an unsafe guard
for the enactment OF legislation
which affects the liberty. freedom
and fundamental rights of millions
Of people.
"I appeal to you, Mr.. President, to
follow the opposite course and
through the use of calm Judgment,
exercised free from any feeling of
any kind whatsoever, veto this un-
American, Facist, anti-labor legis-
lation."
Called Theat to Democracy.
In New York Mr.. Whitney re-
vealed that he had urged a veto.
ut Is true that the Nation has had
to deal with a few strikes, but it is
appalling that any group of society
should be smeared and damned be-
cause few members of labor have
been provoked to act impetu-
uousIy," he wired.
He said that the trainmen's bro
therhood was profoundly dis
turbed" by congressional passage of
the bill, terming it "a threat to the
fundamental principles of our de-
mocracy, the principles for which
millions Of our boys are fighting,
bleeding and dying at this time"
Several sections of the measure
would apply to the coal wage con-
troversy which moved today toward
new climax as the War Labor
Board prepared its decision on the
miners portal to portal pay demand
and John L. Lewis summoned the
United Mine Workers Policy Com
mittee to Washington.
Committee Meets Tomorrow.
The Policy Committee, meeting
tomorrow, may coincide with the
WLB decision, which competent
sources say is certain to be sub
stantially short of the miners de-
mands.
UNIV sources said there was no
certainty that an agreement between
the union and the Central Pennsyl-
vania Coal Operators would be
drafted by midweek. Mr.. Lewis and
Charles ONeill, spokesman for the
Pennsylvania groups, agreed in prin-
ciple to $1.30 a day as settlement of
the underground travel pay demand,
but a hitch developed in writing
legal language mutually satisfactory
to the parties.
In the meantime the trouble
stirred by the $1-a-day strike fines
ordered last week by Solid Fuels
Administrator Ickes was dying down
as more operators declined to assess
them. Western Pennsylvania and
Alabama operaotrs decided against
the fines yesterday. Earlier West
Virginia and Central Pennsylvania
operators had done likewise. Mr..
Ickes had said the miners could
bargain for remission of the penal
ties which were based on the June