The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-08-07
LABOR WINkS '0FF CHARGES '0F pILFERING
Witnesses at Conclusion of Shipping Hearing Here
 Blame Management

Labor came back with some ans wers for charges aimed at its ranks by shipping men, but the best labor spokesmen who appeared before the Jackson Subcommittee here yester- day afternoon were able to dig up in answer to the cargo pilfering allegations laid at labor's doorstep was an effort to pass off pilfering complaints as "will-o'-t -th -wisps, :" pulled out of the air"
 The three principal labor repre- sentaatives appearing at the after noon hearing seemed bent on re- fusal to recognize even the existence of pilfering as a serious factor in the Alaska shipping problem into which the Subcommittee on Mer- chant Marine and Fisheries of the national House of Representatives was inquiring here.
 Tom Moore, President of the Alaska Territorial Federation of Labor (AFL) was first to demand absolute proof that pilfering is prev allent in the Alaska service Ex- cept for "one occasion" he denied ever having even heard of it. Moore admitted having heard of things missing" from shipments, but claimed there is no proof when or where they were lost.
 What About IL?
 Moore was asked by Rep. Schuy- ler Otis Bland tD-Va):
 Now that you have heard of it. what are you going to do about it?'
 Still refusing to recognize pilfer- ing as just complaint against lahor, Moore promised an investiga- tion designed to Hay the blame at the proper door"
 Quoting Moore's remark that pil- fering accusations have been pull ed out of the air" Bland, who is Chairman of the Full Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, held that the charges nave been pulled out of the air from so many sources they can no longer be dis He stated his view that offering should be made com pulsory penal offense and seafar- ing certificates of convicted offend CTS revoked.
 Alaska's Attorney General Ralph J. Rivers cleared the air somewhat by pointing out that Moore spoke for an Alaska labor organization to which pilfering complaints would not regularly be directed, as sea- men aboard the ships are hired out of Seattle.
 Chris Hennings. Representative in Alaska of CIO national head quarters, was next to testify before the Subcommittee but he ignored the pilfering issue until directly asked about it by Chairman Henry M. Jackson D-Wash).
 
 Union "Agatnst" It
 His reply then was that he had heard little about pilfering charges and knows of no concrete cases oc- curing in Juneau He said the matter had been taken up by Ju- neau Local 16, International Long, shoremen's and Whrehousemen's Union tCIO) and that organization is against it."
 George Ford, Delegate of Local Is, affirmed that Juneau long, shoremen try to prevent offering. Asked by Jackson, he replied there have been complaints, mostly minor, of pilfering brought against "ex- tra men" put on by Local Is and in every case the men have been knocked off the job"
 He declared there is machinery open to management to punish pill ferers, as the West Coast longshore agreement empowers Port Labor Relations Committees to impose penalties.
 Far more voluble were labor's answer to other charges put by the ship operators.
 Jennings reversed the allega- tion that difficulties in the Alaska service are 90 percent due to labor he held they are 90 percent due to management.
 Causes Piled Up
 Labor worked through the war under mo strike pledge" he pointed out. During those years conditions kept piling up on which labor couldn't take action until af- ter the war Alaska labor, he maintained. has proved more than willing to cooperate with Federal agencies in efforts to settle dis putes: which is better record than