The union times., 1947-08-09
Political Action Expenditures
 To Be Tested
Taft And Conn. Congress men Condemned On T-H
 Votes In Advertisement

Challenging Section BOA of the Taft-Hartley Act which re- stricts l a Dor organizations from making expenditures in political campaigns as uncOn- stitutiOnal, the section intend ed to "gag" organized labor, the Connecticut Federation of Labor and Hartford Local Union No. 48l of the Broth erhOOd of Painters, DecOra- tors and Paperhangers, in simultaneous action this week. placed advertisements in the Hartford Times and arranged for brOadcasts over radio sta- ton WHIT, to assail Senator Robert A. Taft, cO-spOnsOr of the Taft-Hartley Act and the six Representatives in Con- gress from Connecticut who voted for it.
 Senator Taft, regarded as one of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination for Presi- dent in the 1948 elections was charged with standing -four square on program of crushing Labor, on a program of under mining collective bargaining"
 OPPOSE CONCRESSMEN
 Republicans in the state were urged to ''start now to assure that their party repudiates Taft's perni- ciOus policies and that Connecticut delegates to the Republican Na- tiOnal Convention next June cast their votes against Taft as a candi- date for the nomination for Presi- dent" Should he be nominated at the convention, the A. F. of L. state body and the Painters Union called for his defeat at the polls.
 The advertisements referred to the Congressmen from this state, Miller, Seely-Brown, Foote, Lodge, Patterson and Sadlak, as having "voted with Senator Taft on his iniquitouS anti labor legislation" and that "in spite of President Truman's wel1-reasoned veto message" they voted to override the veto.
 OPPOSE AT POLLS
 They called also for their rejection at the Congressional nominating con- ventions, and If any of them are re- nominated we ask the people to de- feat them resoundingly on Election Day 1948."
 The Connecticut Federation of La- Dor commended Senator Brien Mo Mahon for having voted against "this disreputab1e legislation" and to sus- tain the Presidents veto, while Sena- tor Raymond E. .Baldwin's stand for the bill was deplorab1e.
 TO HIGH COURT
 In joint statement Timothy M. Collins and Joseph M. Rourke, presi- dent and secretary treasurer, respec- lively of the Connecticut Federation of Labor said that the validity of the law was being challenged in the ex7 pectation that the case would be brought into the courts for eventual determination by the Supreme Court.
 ''It may be the first test of the laws constitutiOnality," they said, ''and through this action the cOun- try may learn definitely whether la- bOr's political rights have been jeopardized irreparabIy by the Taft-Hartley Act. We contend that if labor organizations are forbid den to make any expenditures for political purposes, their efforts to elect labOr's friends and defeat its enemies will be completely futile and ineffective.'
 Both labor leaders stated that the American Federation of Labor has taken the position that many of the laws provisions are unconstitutional. "We are confident that the A. F. of L. will back us in this legal test all the way to the Supreme Court" they said
 Thomas Fortune of the Hartford Painters Union and Rourke spoke over the radio Wednesday night. The broadcasts were termed "the first step of a campaign which will continue until the Election" that will urge the Taft-Hartley laws repeal by Con- gress and seek "the defeat of those who voted for this labor-crippling legislation"