Evening star., 1945-12-16
Hobbs Bill Presents
Test for Liberals
Attempt to Kill Measure in Com.
mittee Raises Issue
BIZ John Il. Cline.

By John II. Cline.
A few months ago American liberals
those of the genuine as welr as the
strictly synthetic variety-were striving
nightly to bring the fair employment
practices bill to vote in the House.
The obstacle was the House Rules Com
mittee, which had refused to clear the
measure and this was roundly con-
demned as a Illustration Of our demo-
cratic processes In that small band OF
Southern Tories" and kindred "reac-
tionaries" were attempting to impose
their prejudices on the membership of
the peculiar power which they enjoyed
as members OF the Rules Committee.
So far as the principle involved was
concerned, these complainarts were
right. But now the shoe is on the other
foot, and 1t remains to be seen whether
those who denounced the pigeon-holing
Of the FEPC bill, which they wanted to
see passed, will manifest the same con-
cern for the proper functioning Of our
democratic processes in the case of
bill which many Of them do not want
to see passed.
This is the so-called Hobbs bill, which
Is really an amendment Of the 1894 Anti
racketeering Act-an amendment made
necessary by the refusal of the Supreme
Court in 1912 to apply the law to union
racketeers. The Hobbs bill has passed
the House and has been referred to the
Senate Judiciary Committee, where an
attempt will be made to kill it either
openly or via the pigeon hole method.
The possibility that this attempt will
succeed cannot be brushed aside, for the
misguided friends of labor" succeeded
in bottling up a similar bill in 1943 in
Senate committee, Just as they have
succeeded in killing in Senate commit
tees virtually all Of the major labor
legislation passed by overwhelming votes
In the House in recent years. In none
of these instances was there q protest
from those who were so articulate in
their complaints against the treatment
accorded the FEPC bill. and it remains
to be seen whether they will speak up
now. Representative Marcantonio of
New York, who was among the loudest
in denouncing the Rules Committee for
holding up the FEPC bill, has been
quoted as saying of the Hobbs bill that
there isn't any question that we can
stop it in the Senate" meaning, pre-
sumably, the Senate committee. And
the Daily Worker, Communist party
paper, with whose views Mr.. Marcan-
tonic generally is in accord, has called
upon "the folks back home" to let their
Senators know how they feel about this
vicious" bill which is described as a
threat ito the very principle of organized
labor" This sort of nonsense will not
prevail If the Hobbs bill ever gets to a
vote in the Senate. The danger is that
1t will be used as an excuse for letting
the measure die in the Senate COM
mittee.
The Hobbs bill is neither vicious nor
antilabor. On the contrary, it is de-
signed to stamp out a vicious racket.
fiourishing in the guse of legitimate
union activity, which is a real threat
to labor in that it is capable of arousing
public feeling to point where legitimate
as well as illegitimate union activities
will be in serious jeopardy.
This particular racket is practiced by
some elements in the AFL Teamsters'
Union and y confined in its application
to trucks moving into New York and
other cities Some of these trucks are
owned and driven by farmers moving
their produce to market. Others are
driven by members of the union from
| other sections of the country. But no
| distinction is made on this score. In
| the case Of New York City-and the
technique is much the same in other
J places-member of Teamsters' Local
8o7 for years have been waylaying trucks
coming into the Holland Tunnel. They
stop the trucks, and by beating or
threatening to beat the drivers extort
payments from the drivers or owners
of sums of money equivalent to the
union scale for 4 days work. In some
instances the union racketeers, although
their services were not needed, have
helped or offered to help in driving or
unloading the trucks; in others they
have simply taken the money and dis
| appeared Some trucks have been over
turned and burned. Sometimes farmer
drivers have been compelled to pay
/ r.