The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-22
Trieste Compromise Expected
Hobbs Bon 2 Passes After Four Yeors ,.
 No Opposition
 Expected to Come
 From President

Washington, June 22-(UP)-Tfte Hobbs anti-racket bill was sent to President Truman today after a four-year legislative battle touched off by charges of racketeeTing 1n the trucking unions.
 The measure, which has been the subject of heated debate in both housese of Congress since 1942, pasesd the Senate yesterday with out dissenting vote.
 Sen. Carl Hatch, D.-N. M.), long personal friend of MT. Truman, said he was confident" that the President would sign the bill. He was joined by. Rep. Jennings Ram dolph D.-W. Val, a leader of the HouSepro- -lobar bloc who said it was legislation "that is very much needed"
 BilI Comes Out of Decision
 The bill, sponsored by Rep. Sam Hobbs, O.-Ala). would prevent anyone imposing a burden" on interstate commerce by robbery or extortion." Proponents of the bin have claimed that it is general legislation designed to cover mul- titude of situations.
 But the Bill was born SpcificaIly out of Supreme Court decision in early 1922 concerning Local 807 of the International Brotherhood of TeamsteTs. The local had been charged with violation of the Cope land Act, designed to prevent rac- keteering in Interstate Commexces
 The union was accused of stop- ing trucks entering New York City and demanding that the wages of a union driver be paid for enter ing the city. In testimony before hte court, it was claimed that many of the trucks were driven by union drivers from New Jersey and other. states but that the extra wages were demanded anyway.
 The majority opinion, delivered by former associate James F. Byrnes, held that the union mem. bers could not be held guilty oR< extortion as long as they were boHa. f1de union members and dema Ca ed no more than days wa,ere The latter was $9.42 for heavy truck and $8.41 for a light truck.
 Passed In 1942
 Hobbs introduced bill to i'm. pose heavy penalties upon racket eers" in Interstate Commerce and it was passed by the House in the Spring of 1942. But it was pigeon holed by the Senate Judiciary Com- mittee for the remainder of that session.
 Hobbs reintroduced the bill in the next Congress but no action was taken until December of last year when it was passed again by the House. The Senate then attached it as 8 rider to the Case Strike Central Bill.
 When President Truman vetoed the Case Bill early this month, he said there should be careful study of the measure to determine that it does not violate the frlndamens tai rights of labor.
 Hobbs said. however, that the bill states specifically that rights guar anteed by the Wagner Act, the Rail- road Retirement Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Nor. Guardia Act are not to be interfered with.
 Acts Give Labor Reports
 'There four acts are considered the Magma Charta of labor," he added. This bill does not invade the legitimate rights of the unions. It need not trouble any honest man."
 Hatch said that President Tru- mans veto of the Case bill could not be considered an adequate tn- of the fate of the Hobbs Bill. The legislation, he said, had been '1misrepresented" to the Presi. dent at the time.