Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-29
Work Bill Vote
May Be Delayed
Over Week End
Senate Sharply Split;
BorkIey and Thomas
Confer With President
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

With the Senate sharply di-
vided over the compromise man.
power bill, indications this after
noon were that vote may not
be reached until early next week.
One reliable source estimated that
If the roll call came today the con-
ference agreement, giving War Mo-
blllzation Director Byrnes broad
discretionary power to regulate en-
ployment for the remainder of the
war, probably would be defeated by
a margin of several votes. Both
sides in the fight, however, have
adherents out of town and are hop
ing for their return.
AS debate was resumed today,
Senate Majority Leader Barley and
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of Utah,
who are directing the administra-
ton forces in favor of the bill,
went to the White House for con-
ference with President Roosevelt,
who made strong appeal for the
compromise bill yesterday.
Senators OMahoney, Democrat,
of wyoming, leader of the opposi-
ton, and McCarran. Democrat. of
Nevada, today cited the new charter
on labor management relations
drawn up yesterday by the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States,
the CLIO and the AFL, as evidence
ic
manpower legislation.
Both Senator Barley and Sen
ator O'Mahoney expressed confidence
OF winning. The outcome actually
may hinge on which side is most
successful IN bringing in votes of
members who were absent when the
debate started yesterday
Dim Outlook for Vote Today.
While the Presidents appeal
raised the hopes of mis- floor leaders,
it was partly offset by ammunition
which the opposition seized upon in
! the recent cutback of naval con-
! struction.
/ Leaders had hoped for a show
]
pect was dimmed earlier by the
announcement of Senator LANCER,
Republican, of North Dakota, that
he intends to speak for three hours.
A few hours after the President
backed the compromise bill yester-
| day, Senator O'Mahoney told the
Senate he is not trying to kill the
81 "a hr1t TO
into conference for further study.
Administration leaders pointed
out later, however, that if the Senate
turns down the compromise two
weeks or more would be lost before
any alternative manpower measure
could be worked out, because the
House has taken an informal recess
until April 10 and possibly longer.
O'Mahoney Ready to Act.
Senator OMahoney told reporters
that numerous conferences had
convinced him the compromise
will not be adopted" He said that
lat the earliest moment he would
move to send the issue back to con-
ference for the correction of what
he called 'imperfections."
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, of
Tennessee, the Senate's presiding
officer yesterday afternoon, ruled,
however. that the Senate must vote
the compromise bill up or down
first. Therefore, Senator O'Ma-
honey's motion to recommit the bill
to the conferees can be made only if
/ the pending measure is rejected.
! Senator johnson, Democrat, of
Colorado, who proposed the pending
measure in conference as middle
ground between the House WORK
draft and the Senate's milder form
of job control, declared the question
is no longer whether one bill is bet
ter than another. but whether Con-
gress will pass this bill or nothing.
Need for Extra PUSH"
In statement last night, War
Manpower Commissioner McNutt,
who has directed voluntary labor
recruiting efforts since the start of
the war, said that while the en-
ployment situation shows positive
hSttCiluCIiI dll eSUId push is
needed to get more workers to
transfer from nonessential to war
jobs.
Senator Hart. Republican, of Con-
necticut, former admiral of the
ASiatic Fleet, told the Senate yes
terday afternoon he will support the
bill because manned men, and
women in black are appearing
among u.s. and added, II wish to be
able to look them in the eye
He said the war in Europe may
soon be over but that mo one can
say just how long the Pacific phase
of the conflict may last, how much
of our blood and treasure must still
be spent before japanese militarism
is definiately crushed"
The manpower fight has produced
one of the strangest alignments in
recent Senate history. Some New
Deal Democrats who nearly always
go along with the President are
arrayed with conservative Repub-
.licans, but both parties are split on
| the issue,