Evening star., 1947-04-07
Bandifry and FiIehing
chargedAiterProbe Of
Union in Philadelphia
BY the Assoeioied Press

New laws to suppress racket
eering" in labor unions were
urged today by a congressional
committee which accused lead
ers Of q Philadelphia teamsters
local OF practicing "unprinciplec
banditry" and "filchipg" unior
funds.
The Recommendation came from
a House Expenditures subcommittee
inquiring into the enforcement o.
present laws designed to bar racke'
teering In the movement OF inter
state commerce.
An intermediate report called at.
tention chiefly to the affairs o
Local 929, international Teamster'
Union, AFL, Philadelphia. But i
said the nations economic liberty
itself Is threatened by lack ol
legal safeguards against corrupt
labor practices.
SAYS Record Ii Black.
Tracing the operations OF ths
union since its establishment Ii
l941, the subcommittee declared
that "the record OF the investiga-
ton is replete in its portraya
Of as definitely arrant and unprin.
cipled banditry as any heretofore
shamefully recorded.
THAT such lawlessness mas.
aueraded under the guise OF unior
sctivity only serves to illustrate tht
ease with which, in the present STATE
Of Federal laws. persons OF eyi
intent may falsely pose as the bene'
factors, protectors and exponents o1
the cause Of labor, while simultane.
ously using labor's banner as cloai
70 shield their own extortionate OBJ
iectives."
Members Held Victimized.
The 37-page report said "the rec
ord convincingly established that
aues-paying members OF the local
Itself were mercilessly victimized by
arbitrary and oppressive fines per-
.mptorily levied without charges
hearing or trial and by the filchine
of the income and the funds Of the
locals treasury"
The subcommittee named Harry
TURK" Daniels and Abe Goldberg
alternatively president and secre-
:ary-treasurer of the local-as the
leaders of union Hierarchy
which it said dominated the locals
affairs and those Of Philadelphia
Dock Street Market with the threat
of compliance cor else
CompuIsiOn Outlined.
The report claimed the union had
forced all persons regularly en-
2loyed in the loading, unloading.
sorting, grading, packing or selling
ST produce in Philadelphia-includ-
ing employer merchants-tob become
dues-paying members, subject to
Anes, assessments and the rulings
Of kangaroo court" from which
they have no appeal.
Not so much as an ear of corn or
. single head of cabbage coming
into this domain could be moved
one inch except in the manner pre-
scribed by the hierarchy without
incurrlng their displeasure and in
viting consequences of significant
effect" the subcommittee said. .
1t is asserted that Mr.. Goldberg
and Mr.. Daniels issued their or
ders" with Significant or else"
1t gave its Interpretation of what
that meant in these words:
when directed to a huckster,, or
else meant anything from vicious
street beating and mauling to
the upsetting Of his cart, the loss
Ct his produce and the denial of his
tight thereafter to make purchases
IN the market.
Businesses Threatened.
when directed to a merchant,
for else meant his business would
be closed down. ."
The report declared at one point:
"It is absurd to contend that by
the process. of issuing them a char
ter the AFL licensed these persons
to steal and defraud. Yet the evi-
dence Is clear that is precisely what
transpired here"
1t said the subcommittee had
found Startling revelations" to
warrant the conclusion that the
locals funds had been filched and
its treasury Systematically raided
at the will and fancy of those to
whom 1t was entrusted"
Among the specific complaints
the committee made against the
unions actions were these:
Moneys were regularly demanded
as Imitation fees and dues"
which were not such at all but "in
fact were paid and received as
an unloading charge"
Fines were mercilessly levied in a
promiscuous and high handed man.
ner on members and non members
alike.
Farmers Paid Fees.
A farmer attempting to bring his
own produce to market had to pay
a union initiation fee of $25 and
dues OF 81 a month, the report said.
In Philadelphia, Attorney Edward
Davis, counsel for the union during
hearings by the congressional group,
told reporters:
There will be no comment until
we have a chance to study the re-
port itself"
Representative Hoffman, Repub-
dean. Of Michigan, chairman of the
subcommittee which drafted the
unanimous report, contended in a
supplemental finding that the ad-
ministration In general and the
Justice Department in particular
have failed to enforce existing laws.
The most recent of these was
added to the statute books last year
when a law originally passed to
deal with gangster tactics was
amended to apply specifically to
labor unions. The act makes 1t an
offense to interfere with interstate
commerce by extortion, intimidation
or violence.
Subcommittee members who signed
the report with Hoffman are Rep
resentatives Busbey, Republican, of
Illinois; Snyder, Republican, of West
Virginia; Dorm, Democrat, of South
Carolina, and Hardy, Democrat. of