Detroit evening times., 1945-04-27
FAIR
BY Westbrook
.PeeIer


Senator Robert NJ.
LaFollete lr..
United States Senate,
Washington, d, {.
DEAR SENATORS:
NOT too long ago for my re-
" membrance. you were rum
ming one of those badgering
committees there in the Senate
whose purpose was 10 punish
citizens who should spy on prl-
vate organizations. oStenslbly
voluntary but. in most cases
compulsory and in many cases.
TacketS. known as labor unions.
| have been wondering why
you never called on me. because
j am a hardened old offender
and II would rejoice me greatly
10 tangle with you on this prop
oSition. AS | understand your
attitude, YOU hold that II IS
wrong to spy on such outfits.
ON the contrary. / regard
this as a public service and. in
mS work | have had the assist.
ance of many unwilling mem
bcrs who were dragooned into
unions by the New Deal against
their will and with no protest
from you. and Of many another
willing but rebclliOuS union
worker who was being perse-
cutcd by union bosses.
TT WASN'T necessary for me
Il TO seek them They came TO
me with their troubles and told
me what was going on and, as
one result, quite few criminals
have gone TO prison who would
have been protected in their
racketeerlng if you had scared
us off.
They would tell me about
ShakedownS IN the form of fees
and assessments. personal ter
rorissn and grating by union
bosses who would sell the MEM
berS out 10 employers and we
would get busy and -prettN-Seea
we would have the crooks wired.
BY the way. what have you
ever done about that. Senator?
You don't hold with raCketeer-
ing do YOU? Anyway | don't
think | get your attitude when,
in the presence Of notorious con-
dtiOnS, YOU would give us law
which would make il dangerous
TO investigate such doing.
And | am sure YOU remember
that when the House Of Repre-
SentativeS passed bih 10 for
bid al least A few raCketcering
practices and sent il over 10 the
Senate. this reform was Stran-
gled by a Senate committee and
buried in the dark of the moon.
WHY shouldn't we spy on
w unions. anyway? The un-
ioneer has a right 10 spy on the
employer. hasn't he? He can
buy a share of stock and sit IN
on the board meetings. for in
stance. and tell the wide world
all that everybody said.
How do YOU suppose ] ever
learned about the big insurance
ShakedoWn in the boilermakers
union by which tho son Of the
unions president got an income
greater than we pay the PreSi-
dent OF the United States de-
! rived from premiums paid by
the members who had 10 buy
this insurance 10 get their Jobs
building ships for the govern
mcnt in this war
Do YOU think / got il from
the department Of labor or the
War Labor Board
got II from members, from
old-time, horny-handed boiler
makers and Shipbuilders who
Just couldn't get any relief
within the union and were
tossed around for trying.
| we Nlun I NlOp tne fdCKet Dut
we did get the old man out Of
there, although boosting him
into the title of president
emeritus the mob gave him A
sweet raise in pay which ccr-
tainly was inconsistent with the
, little steel gag.
Maybe. though. in another
year, we will bust the insurance
racket. too
These things do take time.
especially under national ad-
! miniStration that conniVeS and
co-OperateS with racketeers at
the expense of the workers on
the daily Jobs