Evening star., 1947-03-31
Complex Issues Slow
Labor Bill Drafting,
Legislators Learn
BY the Assoeioisd Press

BY the Assoeiofsd Press
Many members Of Congress are
finding out that writing an air tight
} effective labor bill is one Of the
most batting tasks any law-makins
body ever started.
The House Labor COMMITTEES. once
again has postponed its first bras,
tacks meeting to act on general
labor legislation-this time unit
April 8. The HOUSE is scheduled te
start debating the committees bill
five days later.
The reason for the continuing
delays: Chairman Hartley is de-
termined that before the 25-mar
= committee meets, a majority Of it,
members shall be pretty well agreed
on a bill that is in line with the
ideas of the House Republican lead
ership.
It's not easy to bring any group
into harmony on such a large num-
ber of complex issues, and even II
they were in harmony, 1t wouldn't
be easy to put their desires into
unambiguous language.
Democrats Show Irritation.
Shades Of opinion among the 1s
Republican members are clashing
especially on the questions Of for
bidding the closed shop and indus
try-wide bargaining, dealing with
Communist-inclined unions, and
handling Nationwide strikes in
vital industries.
Meanwhile. some Democrats or
the committee are beginning *
shoulder.
Representative Lesinski of Michi.
gan, top-ranking Democrat on the
committee, lashed out with state.
ment last week accusing Mr.. Hart.
ley of consulting only Republican.
and abolishing the two-party sys.
tenn.
Mr.. Lesinski fired his blast afte,
Mr.. Hartley had announced plans
for special emergency bill to meet
the threat Of a telephone strike 9
week from today. Mr.. LesinsH sale
he and fellow Democrats, Madder
OF Indiana, A. B. Kelley Of Penn.
sylvania, Klein of New York, Powell
OF New York and Kenney Of Massa.
chnsetts, were disassociating them.
selves from Mr.. Hartley's telephone
strike proposal.
Senate Decisions tn Rs0ir
The committee Ia supposed tc
meet on this matter tomorrow-but
not on permanent labor legislation
Also tomorrow, the Senate Labor
Committee is supposed to begin
making some decisions on pieces OF
the general labor bin 1t will recon-
mend to the Senate.
The Senate group is sure to rec
on1mend a milder bill than the
House committee.
But Senators like Ball, Republi-
can. Of Minnesota hope the Senate,
when it gets around to debating
labor legislation, perhaps in May,
will overrule It's Labor Committee
on some things.
Ball, for instance, wants to ban
tndustry-wide bargaining and the
various forms of closed shop con-
tracts which make it necessary for
a man to belong to a union to get
or hold a job. 49,
. = Sees Chance >op Floor. =
Asked his view on the chance
the committee might adopt some
of those principles, Senator Ball
replied:
Well. probably not the commits
uF maybe on the Senate
Here are some of the reasons why
building labor law is tougher
than most other kinds:
/. Labor management relations Il
not an exact science, but q changing
growing subject, full Of slippery
technical terms. Few people profess
a real grasp of the subject.
2. There is violent disagreement
on the basic issues and even on the
side issues.
Disagree on Methods.
3. And even If people could agree
perfectly on objectives, they would
disagree on methods. For example
nearly every one acknowledges now
that the Smith Connally War Labor
Disputes Act of 1943 produced re-
suits not intended by Congress.
4. On top of these difficulties, the
Federal courts always must be con-
sidered. Labor law is an expert
mental field. Almost any part OF
1t is likely to be considered uncon-
stitutional in the eyes of some
people. For example, the 1916
"Anti-Petrillo" Act went through
Congress by a substantial majority
but Federal court in Chicago held
1t violated the Constitution in four
different ways.
Despite all these complications, no
one doubts that Congress will pass a
lah0r hi11-evnnt11al1v