Evening star., 1946-06-24
Truman Facing Test
On Hobbs Labor Bill
Both Senate and House Put
Racket Issue Up to Him
By Dapid Laurence

~ D"1tu A<1"s
Aroused by President Truman's sur
render to pressure by labor union
leaders. majority of both houses Of
Congress have put up to him squarely
this week the issue of whether he con-
dones robbery, violence or extortion as
proper tactics for labor unions in their
disputes with employers.
This evil, it might seem, would war
rant condemnation unanimously by all
three branches Of Government which
considers itself Government of all
the people.
But it was majority of the Supreme
Court of the United States which de-
clared invalid in 1943 law that at
tempted to punish robbery. violence and
extortion and the court did so on the
specious excuse that paragraph in the
so-called Hobbs antiracketeering law,
which had been passed originally in
1894. gave labor unions the right to do
various things which are classified as
lawful union activities.
Senate Baked Passage.
lHcIl SOIlSIeSS tIlcO W dHlcllu tiiS
law to get rid of the supposedly ambig-
uous paragraph. In April l943, the
House passed an amended Hobbs bill,
but the Senate, affected by labor union
pressure, failed to act. Again, in De-
cember, l945, the House passed the same
bill and for six months it has been
slumbering in Senate committee while
ha frrJiy, tn
| kill it.
The inability to get action in the
Senate led its sponsors. to include the
| antiracketeering bill as an integral part
of the Case bill. When the President
vetoed that measure recently. he said
| of the antiracketeering provisions. but
he feared it would hamstring labor
union activities of proper nature.
This is the same excuse and argu-
ment that is invariably made about all
restrictive legislation. President Tru-
man now is being importuned by the
AFL and the CIO to veto the bill. There
is some doubt whether it could be
passed over a presidential veto. The
President is believed to be uncertain
what to do about 1t. His dilemmas will
| increase. however, unless he sooner or
later recognizes that majority in Con-
| gress do not intend to be squelched by
an arbitrary and partisan use of the
/ veto power which seeks to protect g.
/ vested interest in a certain political
/ group.
Faces Steady Challenge.
| If Mr.. Truman vetoes the Hobbs bill,
! he will find nearly every appropriation
up with riders" designed to enact the
laws he is trying to defeat. The Case
bill veto has left its wounds. These are
not likely to heal very soon. The Case
bill veto really was a turning point in
the Truman administration and a veto
! of the antiracketeering bill would not
be a surprise at all.
If President Truman means to "play
BALI with labor union politicians nat.
urally he will veto the antiracketeering
bill 1t would be logical for him to do
it. though, of course. it isn't of much
Importance, after all, what legislation is
enacted as long as the enforcement
branch of the Government gets its
1 orders on a political basis as to what
! to enforce or refrain from enforcing.
/ Thus the antiracketeering bill, even if
! approved by the President. can become
! dead letter" if the President wishes
/ to ignore enforcement and promise inn
munity of prosecution from time to
| time as he did in his recent conference
! with the leaders of the railroad strike.
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