Evening star., 1947-08-12
Widespread Attack
lon 1aft-HahIey Act
Opened by Labor
BY ihs Assssistsd arsss

600 to campaign fund for q con
gressional candidate yesterday in q
declared challenge to the acts pro-
visions. while In Pittsburgh the CIC
United Steel Workers Union opened
a drive to elect an acceptable Con-
sress" to repeal the statute.
The AFL also entered the picture
with a challenge by william Green
AFL president. to the Republican
National Convention to nominate
Senator Taft, one Of the labor acts
sponsors. for the presidency in 1913
so we can have q clear-cut issue
Mr.. Green said the Ohio Senator
would suffer the worst defeat ever
handed any candidate OF q major
party for the presidency"
Tobin Hints at Third Party.
The challenge was hurled at the
convention of the international
Brotherhood of Teamsters' Conven-
ton In San Francisco, and ut the
same session. Daniel Tobin, Team
sters' president. said the American
labor movement, II it achieves unity,
could develop q third political party.
The OIL Workers challenge to the
Taft-Hartley Act was started by
o. A. knight Of Fort Worth, Tex,
the international president, who gave
the frst IS contribution to the cam
paign fund Of J. Curtis Trahan. Mr.
Trahan is q candidate in the 9th
Texas congressional district primary
race. The election will be held
August 23.
This IS is a good answer to the
Taft Hartley law" Mr.. knight said
I'D rather be challenged to helping
an honest and respected member OF
this union become q Congressman
than on any ether violation of the
act. I'd like to see anybody stop me
from contributing to the campaign. .
Former Texas City Mayor.
Mr.. Trahan is the former Mayor
Of Texas City, Tex, where q har-
Dor explosion last April wiped out
q large part of the city. He Ia a
former secretary of the Texas City
Oil Workers local. The primary
election Is being held to fill q va
cancy created last month by the
death Of 86-year-old Representative
j. j. Mansfield Of Columbus, Tex
Approximately 400 delegates are at
tending the convention.
About $40 of the steelworkers
district ofiicers and leaders met In
Pittsburgh yesterday to map plans
for = mass registration drive and
campaign to collect 81 voluntary
contributions from the s75,oo0 mem.
bers.
Philip Murray, president OF both
the CIO and the steelworkers, said
There is nothing in the Taft.
Hartley law which prevents volun.
tary contributions"
He added the money collected
would be kept apart from unior
funds and may or may not" be uset
to make direct contributions tt
candidates or parties.
Hopes to Enlist Million.
Mr.. Murray. in q news confer
enee following the meeting. said
the C1o hopes to enlist 1000, ,0ot
members to carry on the "most In
tensive election campaign in his.
tory" %-'
The C1O. the labor leader de.
clared, would welcome" q test OF
curbs on labor organizations polit.
ical activities under the labor law
Mr.. Murray said Attorney General
Clark has been advised by the CIO
and Steelworkers of two instances
In which the CIO has engaged In
active support Of candidates since
the law was passed in June.
So far, Mr.. Murray said, the CIC
has not heard from the Attorney
General. although I'VE would well
come q test"
The constitutienality of the act
on the political grounds, he ex-
planned. would be questioned under
the premise Of free speech and ex-
preston.
No Third Party for CIO.
The CIO News supported the sue
cessful candidacy of Edward A.
Garmetz OF Baltimore for an un-
expired House term. Steel Labor
the unions ofiicial publication, car
riers In Its August issue q page ]
statement by Mr.. Murray in sup.
port of Phil Storch, seeking to Al
an unexpired House term in the
Lehigh- Bucks County Pa) district
Mr.. Murray said the CIO does
not intend to start a third party OF
to support solely the Democratic
Party. He said candidates will be
given Political Action Committee
support only If they are favorable
to the views expressed by the CIO
The PAC plans similar ,organiza-
ton meetings among the United
Electrical Workers, Textile Workers
Clothing and United Auto Workers
Mr.. Tobin told the teamsters' con.
vention that the unified labor THIRD
party could be $1,000, 900 strong.
CAS- he spoke, creation Of a
third party at Statewide meet
ing In Los Angeles August "a was
being urged in letters to every
labor union in California. Nine
members Of q joint trade union
committee not connected with
the teamsters signed the appeals.
Hugh Bryson, National Union of
Marine Cooks and Stewards, CIO.
was named chairman Of the
movement.)
For years have been against
third party" Mr.. Tobin told thu
teamsters, but times are changing
I may change my mind. But there
is no hope for a third party unit
the labor movement is cementet
into one"
, Meanwhile. in Detroit. talks in thu
three-week Murray Corp. Of Amer
lea strike, which has led to the layofl
Of 5000 auto workers, were halted
until tomorrow after Clarence w
Avery. company president, accused
the CIO United Auto Workers o1
stalling q settlement with their de-
mand for blanket protection against
the Taft Hartley Act.
Declaring an agreement was al.
most reached with UAW-CIO Pres
Iident Walter P. Reuther. Mr.. Avery
.~;s ~ . v>roso ennfaranna that re-