Evening star., 1946-12-23
Taft Decides
To oTdkeLabor
Ohioun Will Pass Up
Finance Post; ; Seek
To Head New Group
BY the Associated Press

Senator Taft of Ohio said to-
day he will ask for the chair
manship of the Senate Labor
Committee when Republican
Senators meet December 80 to
organize for their new majority
role.
BY seniority Senator Taft would
have the choice of the labor chair
manship or head of the tax-Wrlting
Finance Committee.
Officially announcing his decision
to ask for the labor post, the ONO
Senator said in statement that
he plans to remain on the Finance
Committee.
He added that he hopes to con-
tinue as chairman Of the Repub-
lican Steering Committee.
Ordinarily the finance chairman
ship is considered a more i'm
portant post than leadership OF the
Labor Committee. The clamor Tor
revision OF labor laws makes the
Labor Committee of unusual i'm
portance, however, in the new Con-
gress, For that reason it has been
texpected that Senator Taft would
decide on the labor post and pre-
dictions of his action have been
made in recent weeks.
MiIlikin May Get Finance Post.
If Senator Taft had elected to
seek the finance Craftsmanship
Senator Aiken, Republican, of Yer
mont, would have been in line to
head the Labor Committee. Sena-
tor Aiken usually has supported or
ganized labor's viewpoint on legiS-
lative matters and some of his
COP colleagues call him better
New Dealer" than most Democrats.
Senator Taft's decision may give
the finance Craftsmanship to Sem
ator Millikin, Republican, of Colo
RADIO.
Senator Butler of Nebraska, next
in line to Senator Taft on the FL
nance Committee, said he is more
interested in becoming chairman
of the new and enlarged Public
Lands Committee, if that post falls
to him by seniority, as seems likely.
Besides heading the Finance Com
mittee, Senator Millikin is in line
for election as chairman of the Re-
publican Conference, a post Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan will vacate
when he becomes the Senate's new
presiding officer.
Three Way Battle Seen.
| Meanwhile, a three-way battle
over the chairmanship of the pow
erful new Commerce Committee ap-
pears in the making.
The chairmanship, carrying with
it the job of guiding domestic and
foreign legislation affecting business
generally, revolves around the claim
of Senator White of Maine to the
post.
Senator White has made no secret
of the fact that in addition to being
ma jority floor leader-a post he
seems certain to get-he wants to
head the commerce group.
But Senator Robertson, Republf-
can, of Wyoming and some others
have said they are against any Sen
ator holding two public" jobs Of
this nature.
Another Senator said a resolu-
ton will be presented at confer
ence of all COP Senators Decem-
ber 80 in an effort to force Senator
White to choose between the two
positions.
Tobey-Reed Struggle Expected.
Any such decision by the confer
Ience apparently would plunge Sena-
tors Tobey of New Hampshire and
Reed of Kansas into head-on bat
tie for the commerce post.
Senator Tobey, who has refused
to tell the existing Committee on
Committees what assignments he
wants in the new Senate on the
grounds that it has no authority to
act on such matters, repeatedly has
informed friends he is interested
in the commerce Craftsmanship.
The New Hampshire Senator Is
top Republican on the Senate Bank
ing Committee, which handles mon
etary legislation and measures deal
ing with international finance. Most
lof his colleagues had supposed that
Senator Tobey would take this chair
manship and were surprised to learn
of his interest in the Commerce job.
But if Senator White steps or is
pushed aside from the committee
assignment, Senator Reed has in
formed associates that he intends to
battle for the place.
Would Have Similar Claims.
The Republican Assignment Com
mittee, headed by Senator White,
thus far has adopted no clear cut
rule on how seniority shall apply, so
Senators Tobey and Reed would
have almost identical claims to the
place.
Without knowing where Senator
Tobey stands. however, members are
having difficulty in giving out the
jobs.
Democrats, on the other hand, ap-
(See REPUBLICANS, A-4D
/ o+o Ao~Axe