Evening star., 1947-01-07
Legislative Council
Members al Odds on
.Tuck''s Labor Plans
BY the Assoeioted Press

RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 7-Gov-
ernor Tuck's labor proposals, re-
garded by many as controversial
have run into difficulty in the
Virginia Advisory Legislative Coun-
Gil to which they had been referred
for study. The measures were re-
ported out of the council with few
changes but three of the VALC's
nine members filed minority reports.
The general assembly is nowzsin
special session.
The majority report. signed by
delegate E. o. McCue, OF Charlottes-
vile and fiye&others, contained two
principal recommendations: One
suggested further study before
enactment by the Genaral Assembly
of the percentage of revenues that
the State should retain during a
period of State operation of utility
and the other favored deletion Of q
clause in the Governors original bill
ratifying and confirming his action
of last March in drafting employees
of the Virginia Electric & Power
Co. into the unorganized militia
when a strike is threatened.
Among other recommendations
the council prepared amendments
to make the ban on the closed shop
Applicable only to new contracts,
rather than apply also to agreements
now in operation. The VALCs pro-
visions in the majority report also
would make employees who act in
concert with an employer in vio-
lating a provision of the bill liable
for damages along with the en-
lployer.
Protects Union Member.
Also concerning the closed shop
bill, the VALC would provide that
the union member is protected to
the same extent as the nonunion
member.
Bills to carry out the Governor s
labor program were not offered in
the Assembly yesterday, but were
being readied and some observers
said it was possible they might be
introduced today.
The minority reports on the meas
ures were written by Senator j. Hoge
Tyler III, Norfolk, and Delegates
Stuart B. Campbell, Wytheville, and
John B. Spiers, Radford. Mr.. Tyler
said he would support the utilities
bill, but was opposed to the closed
shop measure; Mr.. Campbell sug-
gested an expansion of the utilities
bill to permit the State Corporation
Commission final authority to settle
a dispute, and Mr.. Spiers urged fur
ther study of the entire labor-man-
agement relations field.
| Members who signed the majority
report other than Mr.. McCue were
Senators j. D. Hagood, Halifax; M
M. Long, Wise, and Y. Melvin
Hodges, Mecklenburg; Delegates E
Blackburn Moore, Berryville, and
Willis E. Cohoon, Suffolk.
Held Public Hearings.
The two proposals were referred
by the Governor to the VALC on
December 16 and the council held
| public hearings at Richmond and
Roanoke. The report by the group
was not completed and made public
until after the Governor had ad-
dressed the General Assembly yes
terday.
One of the high lights OF the Legis-
lature's opening day yesterday was
the election of G. Alvin Massenburg
of Hampton, a member of the House
of Delegates for 20 years and its
floor leader for the past 10 years,
| as speaker.
Mr.. Massenburg was chosen unan-
imously to succeed Thomas B. STAN
ley of Henry County, who resigned
to win election to the House of Rep
reSentatives from the 5th district
Taking over the position as floor
leader was Coy B. Davis of Halifax
ranking member of the Privileges
and Elections Committee.