Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-09
House Hearing Opens
Tomorrow on Truman
Labor Legislation
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

IL The House Labor Committee will
begin consideration tomorrow of
President Truman's fact-finding
proposal for minimizing industrial
strife, with John L. Lewis as the
first witness.
This hearing will touch off busy
labor week here both in Congress
and the executive branch of Gov
eminent. Administration leaders
are driving to fulfill Mr.. Humans
request for enactment of his plan
before the Christmas recess, but
there are other more restrictive labor
upset this timetable
Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat, of Georgia, acting chairman of
the committee, said AFL President
William Green will be heard We'd
nesday. Others expected to be heard
include CLIO President Phillip Muir
ray, T. c. Cashen, president of the
Railway Labor Executives Associa-
ton, and spokesman for the National
Association of Manufacturers, the
United States Chamber of Com
AiClCc dllu OlileIS.
Schwellenback to Testify.
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
will testify before Mr.. Ramspeck's
group on Thursday, appearing the
day before in behalf of the Presi-
dents proposal at hearing to be
held by the Senate Education and
Labor Committee. Committees of
both houses will undertake stimuli
taenous hearings.
The House is scheduled to con-
slider on Tuesday a bill written by
the Military Affairs Committee
which would restrict union political
activity and penalize unions strik-
ing in violation of contracts.
Another piece of legislation also
highly restrictive of labor is ten
tatively set for House vote later
in the week. 1t is the Hobbs bill
which would extend provisions of
the 1943 notwithstanding Act"
to labor unions.
Both OF the latter two bills are
strongly opposed by the administra-
ton.
Labor Opposes Truman Plan.
Labor is aligned solidly against
the Presidents proposal for legis-
lation providing for White House
appointment of fact-f1nding COM
missions to investigate disputes
which the Secretary of Labor GER
titles as "vitally affecting the ma
tional plblic interest"
Especially Objectionable to the
union organizations is Mr.. Truman's
suggestion that the legislation pro-
vide for a no-Strike period OF 80
days while the fact-flnding COM
mission functions. This, they hold,
is a trespass on labor's right to
strike
In a bitter denunciation of the
Truman proposal, Mr.. Murray
charged that it was the first step
in a campaign to break the unions.
Mr.. Green did not agree with the
CLIO leader as to the Presidents in
tent, but nevertheless expressed
strong opposition to the proposed
legislation. While Mr.. Lewis per-
sonally has with held comment, his
United Mine workers also denounced
the idea.
NAM Differs.
The National Association of
Manufacturers is expected to in
dorse the fact-finding principle
while opposing Mr.. Truman's sug-
gestior that such commissions make
recommendations upon completion
of their probes. The NAM holds
such recommended ons as tanta-
mount to compulsory arbitration. 1t
is believed Chamber of Commerce
President Eric Johnston will sup
port the President.
Meanwhile, the Labor Depart
ment's Cancellation Service will at
tempt to settle two of the Nations
major strikes in hearings here this
week.
Representatives of the COM
panies and union involved in the
Midwest trucking strike will air
their differences in a meeting with
labor officials at 2 pm. Tuesday.
On Thursday, Howard T. Colvin,
deputy director of the Cancellation
Service, will renew his efforts to end
the long-standing Greyhound strike.
The Greyhound negotiations were
moved here from Cleveland.