Evening star., 1946-01-31
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
The House called for a test
vote today, probably between 2
and 8 pm, that can toss Presi-
dent Truman's fact-fnding for
mula out the window in favor
of far more sweeping legislation
to curb industrial strife.
An admittedly powerful coalition
of Republicans and Southern Dem
ocrats made the outlook dubious for
the Presidents fact-finding pro-
posal. already much modified.
This group lined up behind a
broad strike control bill introduced
by Representative Case, Republican,
of South Dakota, and this was the
measure fastening a showdown.
The Case bill was approved by the
Rules Committee yesterday and sent
to the floor for action.
The test-vote issue was whether
the Case bill should be brought UP
for consideration. An affirmative
answer would make it the only sub
stitute possible in the House for the
diluted version of the fact-fnding
measure asked by Mr.. Truman.
Foes Predict Bitter Fight.
More important, some House lead
ers said, victory in the test vote will
mean the Case bill will be approved
almost in its present form.
However, the bills opponents would
not acknowledge defeat. They pre-
dicted bitter fight to the end -
These legislators, chiefly close friends
or organized labor, termed the sub
stitute bill one designed to break
unions"
The Case bill is an attempt to
smash labor" Representative Mar
caatonio, American Labor, of New
York declared at a Rules Commit
tee hearing. 1T would bring back
the yellow dog contract and allow
all the other abuses of workers
which used to prevail many years
ago."
Some opponents of the Case plan
told newsmen, however, that their
chief hope OF killing the proposal is
to keep it so stringent" that the
Senate viii refuse to approve it or
Mr.. Truman later will veto it.
The case bill would establish a
lai5or-management mediation board
which would try to settle disputes
it found affected the public interest.
Other Provisions of Bill.
In addition, the measure would:
ID Require mutual observance of
contracts by employers and en-
ployes; (2) deny collective bargain
ing or unemployment rights to work.
ers using organized boycotts or
violence in picketing to force man
agement to come to terms; (3) pro-
vide for legal prosecution of man
agement if it used violence to make
workers come to terms: "a deny
employe rights to unions of super
viSory workers, such as foremen, and
81 repeal many of the present anti
injunction laws by permitting issu-
ance of injunctions in certain cases
of labor unrest.
L IlG dlbSl lldlS CllOlCC 10 IllC hdbOi
Committee approved fact finding
measure which would set up the
boards asked by Mr.. Truman, but
would deny them the subpoena
power and make no provision for a
cooling off" period while the boards
met.
Furious Debate Expected.
Whatever the test vote decision,
final House action on new labor
legislation will not be completed
until at least Saturday, and prob
ably not until next Tuesday. The
time between today's test vote and
the final ballot will be devoted to
debate which promises to be fast and
furious.
Representatives Smith, Democrat,
of Virginia; Cox, Democrat. of
Georgia and others told the Rules
Committee the legislation was nee
essary to prevent labor disputes
from harming the public.
Representative Biemiller, Demo
crat, of Wisconsin termed it "a first
definite step toward compulsory ar
bitration" and "a punitive move
against organized labor" He said
there is "a conspiracy against labor
unions on the part of certain Wall
Street financial interests "