Evening star., 1947-03-05
biffner Blasts
'Prejjudged' Bill
For Labor Curbs
cIo Off ficioI Says
House Group Cont
Druft Fair Plan
By jones r. Newton

Van A. Bittner, top CIO off,
clal, bluntly told the House La
Dor Committee today ne did not
think the group was qualified to
write a fair labor bill. He ac-
cused the committee of having
already made up it's mind about
restrictions to be- made on unions
before all the evidence was
heard.
Mr.. Bittner, head of the CLOS
Southern organizing drive and vice
president of the Steel Workers.
argued bitterly with Republican
committee members over labor bills
under consideration In the House
and over the issue Of Communism
in the CIO.
He opposed all of the union-re--
stricting measures and was en-
phatic in his opposition tc any
change in the National Labor Re-
lations Act.
Statement, Not Inference.
II doubt if the Is men on this
committee, who have had so little
to do with labor relations, could
write fair bill on any phase of the
labor problem" Mr.. Bittner said at
one point.
Chairman Hartley broke in to ask
the witness if he meant "any Is
men or these Is men,"
Let me put it this way" the
witness continued. twenty-five
blacksmith would be a poor crowd
to deal with medical and health
problems. Twenty-Five doctors prob
ably could improve it."
II think the inference is clear"
answered Mr.. Hartley.
1.-The inference is that men who
know nothing about proposition
shouldn't deal with it," Mr.. Bittner
retorted. That's not an inference.
That's statement"
Mr.. Bittner went on to say that
he did not think labor could get a
fair break from the committee. He
said he had read in the newspapers
where the chairman had said there
were seven or eight or 10 restric-
tions the committee was all ready to
write into law. Mr.. Bittner said 1t
was obvious the committee had
made up It's mind.
McConnelps Charge Denied.
Representative Mcconnell Repub-
lican, Of Pennsylvania said he
thought even If the COMMITTEES
could evolve q perfect law it would
come to naught as long as Conmu-
nists and party-liners continue ia
dominate the major unions"
That's an assumption on your
part" shouted Mr.. Bittner. II deny
your charge 100 per cent"
Mr.. Mcconnell read excerpts from
Ia magazine article which said that
Communists actually control unions
representing Is per cent of CIO
members and exert q powerful ire
fuence on unions making up an
other Is per cent.
Mr.. Mcconnell pointed out that
the magazine story had identified
Lee Pressman, CIO counsel, and Len
De Caux, editor of the CIO News.
among other high officials, as being
either friendly to the Communists
or party-liners.
Mr.. Bittner denied emphatically
that either Mr.. Pressman or Mr..
De Caux was Communist or q
party-liner.
| Definition Of "ParIor Pink"
| The magazine article referred to
was written by Joseph and Stewart
Alsop, Washington newspaper COL
umnists.
-"I deny the charges Of the Alsop
boys" said Mr.. Bittner. "I don't
know whether you know them or
not, but they are couple of parlor
pinks." ..
Mr.. Mcconnell said he understood
"a parlor pink is man who Is too
yellow to be red"
At one point, Mr.. Bittner denied
that any OF the list Of CIO officials
mentioned by Mr.. Mcconnell were
either Communists or followers Of
the party line"
Mr.. Bittner said there were no
Reds in the CIO except those who
have been hired by some employer" !"
What to do About Communists.
Representative Kersten, Repub-
lican, Of Wisconsin asked the wit
ness what he would do about Com
munists In this country.
Il wouldn't go so far as to say
that 1 would deport American citi-
zens to another country" Mr.. Bitt-
ner answered. II don't believe that's
the law But I would do what I
could to separate them from unions.
I have been fighting Communism
for 40 years.
4 When Mr.. Kersten asked him
whether he favored getting rid Of
Communists in the CIO, Mr.. Bittner
replied: Certainly"
Mr.. Bittner was questioned by
Representative Gwinn. Republican,
Of New York. as to how much money
the CIO and its Political Action
Committee spent in the last elec-
tions. The witness replied the CIO
had spent nothing and that the ex-
lpenditure of the PAC was mot
+ 1Sae TAPNP paoe AL