Evening star., 1947-01-29
Passage Of Labor Bills
In Time 10 Prevent
Coal Strike Predicted
By J. A. oLeory

Chairman Hartley of the House
Labor Committee predicted to-
day Congress can pass new Ia
Dor legislation in time to pre-
vent another coal strike before
the March 81 deadline set by
John L. Lewis when the miners
went back to work.
While the Senate Labor Commit
tee was hearing further testimony
in favor of thorough revisions of
the Wagner Act, the House labor
group completed plans for begin
ming its hearings In the caucus
room of the old House Office Build
ing at 10 am. on February 5.
Although MIR. Hartley said he
thinks there is as much danger of
a Presidential veto as there was last
year when President Truman turned
down the Case bill, he expressed
belief that his committee will re-
port out the kind of bill we can
pass over a Veto"
viii Attempt Omnibus Bill.
The House chairman also said
his committee will try to wrap up
various remedies in an omnibus
bill. Declaring that all interested
parties will be heard, Mr.. Hartley
said his committee Is shooting at
March Is as the date to report out
a labor bill.
Meanwhile, the electrical manu-
featuring industry today asked Con-
gress to ban secondary boycottS by
unions against concerns not in
volved directly In a labor dispute.
r. Stafford Edwards of Connecti-
cut, president of the National Elec-
trical Manufacturers Association,
told the Senate Labor Committee
that for the last II years many
electrical manufacturers have been
excluded from the most important
markets in the country or ad-
mitted to those markets only on
terms imposed by local unions of
the International Brotherhood of
Electical Workers -
Part Of Ball Taft Smith Bill.
The ban they recommended is part
of the Ball-Taft-Smith Bill, which
is a revised version of the vetoed
Case Bill.
Earlier the committee was told by
Theodore r. Iserman, New oYrk law
yer, that the Wagner Act has in
creased instead of reducing strikes.
The attorney who has represented
employers in labor matters for a
number of years, filed a 98-page
brief, seeking to show that the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act has been
administered in way to encourage
labor management strife.
Chairman Taft commented that
fair and equal administration of
the Wagner Act would have reduced
the number of strikes in this coun-
try.
Indorses Part of Case Measure.
Mr.. Iserman indorsed parts, of the
new Case bill, including: Restrictions
on the organizing of foremen who
represent management; defining
conditions under which unions may
be sued and the banning of Sec
ondary boycotts.
The New York lawyer expressed
doubt as to the value of proposed
new Federal Mediation Board. He
also was skeptical of the section to
regulate union welfare funds. He
thought welfare could be dealt with
more uniformly through changes
in the Social Security Act.
The witness indorsed the separate
bills to outlaw the closed shop and
eliminate industry-wide bargaining.
Committee members indicated
they hope Secretary of Labor
Schwellenbach, who criticized most
of the pending labor reforms yes
terday, will submit substitute bills,
particularly to deal with secondary
boycotts and revision of the Wag-
ner Act.
Would Submit Revised Bill.
Mr.. Schwellenbach said he would
be glad to submit a revised bill on
secondary, or indirect boycotts, in
dicating he did not believe there is
any serious dispute between him
self and the committee on that sub
ject, beyond a difference in defini-
tionS.
Chairman Taft said he hoped the
Secretary also would make recon-
mendations for changes in the Wag-
ner Act, but the Secretary did not
commit himself.
Two of the most controversial
bills before the committee, spon-
sored by Senator Ball, Republican,
of Minnesota, would ban the closed
shop and eliminate industry wide
bargaining, which ties up the coun-
try as a whole when negotiations
break down.
Secretary Schwellenbach made it