Evening star., 1947-10-14
'RoiIings' on Labor Law
By Pepper Held Futile
Writer Calls on Union Leaders
To Explain Act to Members.
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

'AAt$h ><uAS ou oulOH Leaders
To Explain Act to Members.
By Gould Lincoln
Some day hysterical New Dealers and labor
bosses may give up calling names and making
blanket charges against members of Congress
who passed the Taft Hartley labor law. soma
day they may get around to telling their union
members just how the new labor law makes
slaves out OF them (as the New Dealers and
the labor bosses claim, but they haven't gotten
that far over in the book yet Nor does 1t
appear they ever will.
rake look at the railings of Senator pepper
OF Florida. Democrat and ardent New Dealer.
IN speech prepared for delivery before the
congress OF Industrial Organizations in session
IN Boston. Said Senator Pepper:
Labor need not be told that the Taft
Hartley Act represents the high point of reac-
ton to date. To see the Taft-Hartlev
ACT In perspective we must 60 back $50 wears
10 tne time OF Jefferson when the life of the
new republic was threatened by a wave of re-
actlon. Not since the alien and sedi-
uon laws has such repressive legislation been
passed by an American Congress. The
Ia1t-Hartey law is not only an attack on labor
but an attack on the fundamental freedoms of
all Americans. ""s They (the renress,v.
forces of reaction) have robbed working neonle
OF the protective shield of their labor union,
and decent laws"
Mere Vituperation,
This is not argument that makes any sense
1t Is mere vituperation. Yet MI. Pepper was
talking to labor union convention and pre-
Sumaby his hearers would have liked to know
Just what is contained in the Taft-Hartley law
One reason, perhaps, why the opponents of the
new labor law do not become specific Is the
fact that If they do, then they must defend
abuses under the old Wagner Labor Relations
ACT, and other laws which the Taft-Hartley
Act was passed to eliminate.
lake look at what has happened In ths
neld OF labor-management relations-and prob
lenis-slnce the Taft-Hartley Act went into ef-
1ect completely on August %. There has been
more peace, actually, than for a long time.
The first statistics of the National Labor Re-
latlons Board since that date show that of 400
charges OF unfair labor practices, 329 were filed
oy labor against employers, and only II by en-
pIoyers against labor. Does this look as though
management was rushing to take advantage of
supposed powers granted in the new law to
crush unions and bring about slave labor?
1t does not. Further, 1t looks as though the
provisions OF the Wagner Act relating to unfair
Grating.
The Joint Congressional Committee set ,ip
by the Taft-Hartley law itself to make study
of the operation of the new law and to con-i
slider what changes, if any, were needed, held
meetings here last week. It heard reports of
studies" made by its staff members and also
had before 1t members of the NLRB, its coun-
sci, and Director Cyrus Ching of the Independ
ent Cancellation, Service. However, the comk
mlttee has yet to receive any major proposals.
Tor amendment of the new act; those proposed
changes before 1t are minor and not important
SO the committee adjourned, with further
studies ordered, and with an understanding its
nrst hearings would open January 7, 194S.
To Avoid Current Dispute"
Wisely the committee came to conclusion it
would stay out of any major current dispute"
in which strike or lockout was involved 1t
would make long range studies, and recon-
not influenced by the hysteria Of
any particular emergency in the labor-manage-
ment field. Members Of the committee, which is
headed by Senator Ball. Republican, Of Min
nesota, were pleased, they said, with the fact
that the new law appears to contain in itself
the answers to knotty questions that arise
They look forward to growing improvement
AL IcldGlOIlS MS GlLuc goes on,
1t looks more and more as though Senator
Taft of Ohio, whose name is attached to the
new labor law, rang the bell when he said that
the Taft-Hartley law cannot successfully be
made an issue in the coming political campaign
that as the individual members of the unions
learn what the law does to protect them
against domineering labor bosses) the less will
be the opposition to the law and to the men
and women who put 1t through Congress. Mr.
Taft has called the law Bill Of Rights" for
the individual worker
Yet New Dealers like Mr.. Pepper and the
labor bosses continue to believe they can make
the labor law q major issue in next years cam
paign. Mr.. Pepper told the CIO that all the
progressives in the country must stand together
Or 1t would be impossible to repeal the Taft
Hartley law IF I may add personal note, we
progressives in Congress do not look forward to
another session like the last, with handful Of
US standing like Horatio at the bridge" Mr..
Pepper said. Frankly, we need help"