The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-21
Truman On Unsound Ground

The Star has never given the Taft
Hartley Labor Control bill full endorse
ment. We have believed it Inadequate
in some respects and too severe in
others.
But we have repeatedly urged that
Congress approve labor control legls-
lation which would emasculate the
Wagner bill and bring a stop to the
domination a few selfish, dictatorial
labor leaders have exercised since
President Roosevelt, for such political
profit as he could make of it, gave them
the green light.
It has been the Stars position that
employers should have equal rights
with union leaders in all labor disputes,
a right denied them by the Wagner
act. The Star has believed workers
should have the right to work where
jobs were available without interfer-
ence by labor unions or being required
to join a union and pay union dues. The
Star has believed the courts should
have the power to break or prevent
national calamity" strikes. These
are important provisions of the Taft
Hartley bill, which President Truman
vetoed yesterday.
Since reading the veto measure. the
Star still does not fully endorse the
measure, but because of Mr.. Truman's
questionable attitude toward it's chief
provisions, finds it less Objectionable
than at first.
Mr.. Truman declares the measure
violates principles essential to our pub
lie welfare and is completely contrary
to the national basic policy of economic
freedom. We are unable to think of
any action by labor leaders since. they
acquired unprecedented powers which
has promoted our public welfare or i'm
proved our economic freedom.
Instead we look back on the myriad
strikes, even during the war when our
national security was at stake, that
put the brakes on industrial production
and are claimed by high military au-
thorities to have imperiled the success
of u arms in foreign combat. We
read of the sharp falling off of the in
dividual union workers daily output
and the requirement that employers
pay two men for a job one should do
alone. We have noted the shortening
of the work week and the loss of mar
hours which have to be compensated.
And we ask in what way have these
things promoted the public welfare or
bettered economic freedom.
Mr.. Truman was on unsound ground
when he named the multitude of rea-
sons for vetoing the Taft-Hartley bill
He further declares that passage of
the bill would raise barriers between
labor and management and put a W
tul weapon in the hands of EMPLOYERS
by permitting them to initiate elections
at times "strategically advantageous
to them. Is it not a fact that under the
Wagner act the barrier already is rails
ed between management and labor,
with labor On the sunny side and man.
agement in the shadows? Is it not also
a fact that under the Wagner act man.
agement has no weapon at all but must
lie supine while labor rides roughshod
over employers in holding elections at
such times it sees fit and strikes when
1t gets good and ready?.
Here too Mr.. Truman is dangerously
near quicksand. In truth, item by item,
the President shows a one-sided vision
OF conditions that when he declares the
bill would inject politics into what
should be an economic matter solely, he
inevitably creates a suspicion that he,
as Roosevelt did some years ago, seeks
to make political capital of his veto DOW
er. The House Of Representatives
promptly OVERRIDE the veto yesterday
four to one. What the Senate will do
today is not entirely clear. If it follows
the House example the margin will be
substantially smaller. But whether it
downs tho roto ~ ,nholda - 4L:aA