Evening star., 1947-02-13
House Seen Changing
Labor Bill Strategy
Hartley Move Taken to Fortify
Any Senate Passed Measure

Hartley Move Taken to Fortify
Amy Senate-Passed Measure
By Dapid Laurence
Decision of the House leaders to wait
on the Senate before passing legislation
to revise existing labor laws is . signifi-
cant change.
For many years now the House Of
Representatives has passed bills on
labor questions only to have the Senate
Committee on Labor bury the bills.
There has been a fear this year that,
even though some legislation might
come out of Senate committee, 1t may
well prove to be much revised meas
,,re which would cut the House bill to
pieces.
Labor unions, indeed, have been rely
ing on the rival presidential ambitions
Of certain Republican Senators to affect
the outcome, it being assumed, OF course,
that the House would pass bill which
would at least give the Senate basis
for drastic revision.
Now the announcement by Chairman
Hartley, Republican. Of the House
Labor Committee, about the plan to
wait on the Senate reveals that 1t will
be the House which will strengthen any
bill the Senate might pass.
Test Seen on Restrictions.
There is also the possibility that the
Senators may write bill which will
require much less change than If the
House presented its own bill first. The
test in the House on amendments to
Senate bill will indicate that the House
is anxious to insert legal restrictions
which the Senators may wish to bypass.
When a bill comes from conference Of
the two houses, it Is more difficult to
vote it down or to amend it. Maybe
that's one way to get stronger bill
enacted into law.
The strategy as revealed by the Hart
ley announcement may also mean that
a substantial vote Of the House will
back up demands for restrictions on
labor union activities. incidentally, II
the House by overwhelming vote shows
its attitude, it will be more difficult for
President Truman to have . veto
sustained.
In the House Republicans have
been trying for decade to get amend
ments to the Wagner Labor Relations
Law adopted. There is more than pass
ing interest in the subject on the part
Of Southern Democrats because some OF
the influential citizens of the South
are employers who see abuses Of the
Wagner Law in connection with the
attempts to organize Southern workers.
In the Senate, too, the advocates Of
revision of labor legislation can count on
q large number of Southern Democrats.
The issue cuts too deeply to enable the
Democrats to maintain their party lines.
Unquestionably the hearings which
are being held are laying the foundation
for changes in existing law. The plan OF
the House judiciary Committee, for in
stance, to look into alleged lack Of en-
forcement Of the new antiracketeering
law is but one Of a number Of efforts
to get the facts about the labor prob
lem in America before the country.
Excesses CLOSED Over.
Labor union leaders have CLOSED over
some of the excesses Of their various
lieutenants, but it is the plan appar-
emily of members of Congress to bring
to light what has been happening SO
that public opinion, including the rank
and file of the workers, will generally
support the legislative changes.
The principal outcry from the labor
unions will be that collective bargaining
will be impaired but, when the laws are
finally revealed, this will be open to
considerable difference Of opinion. The
Republicans do not intend to weaken
collective bargaining but they do intend
to require that the law be applied to
impose equal obligations on both labor
and management. II labor unions refuse
to accept . legal obligation to honor
contracts or to refrain from using
coercion or intimidation they will be in
an untenable position, before the public.
The one thing that IS helping the
present business situation is the knowl-
edge on the part Of business men that
Congress is planning to do something
about labor union excesses. But is the
Senate in earnest? Are the Republican
leaders with presidential ambitions be-
ginning to play to the labor vote?
These are questions which will have
an early answer when it Is determined
whether the Senate will pass labor
bill and send it to the House or whether
the Senate leaders will insist on waiting
for the House to act first.