Evening star., 1947-06-21
I ext Of Taft Reply to Veto

F0Ho,Cing Is the teri Of the
radio address By Senator Tdft.
Republican,, OF Ohio. last night
z answering President Trnusdn,s
Deto and radio messages on the
labor bill.
The Presidents message yetoing
the labor bill was q complete mis-
representation Of both the general
character OF the bill and OF most
of its detailed provisions. Remen-
-ber that this bill was considered in
detail by both houses of Congress
for five months. Every provision
was worked over and debated. first
in the committee. several times on
the floor of the Senate and then in
the House. Now the President, in
10 days, including the three or four
days spent In Canada, put his judg-
ment of the meaning and effect of
hundred detailed provisions over
that OF the great majority OF those
who have carefully drafted and
analyzed these provisions.
It Is not surprising, therefore, that
the Presidents veto message shows
that he knows practically nothing
about the bill itself. The President
ignored the opinion and studied con-
clusion OF the Democrats In the
House Of Representatives, who voted
los to II this afternoon to override
his veto. On the contrary, the
President has apparently adopted in
large part the prejudiced arguments
OF the union labor leaders who. from
the beginning, have opposed any
legislation whatever and refused to
cooperate with Congress or make
any constructive suggestions.
Follows Pressman's Analysis.
The Presidents message follows
in many details the analysis OF the
bill prepared by Lee Pressman, gem
eral counsel of the CIO, inserted in
the Congressional Record on June 3
by Congressman Marcantonio, and
another memorandum inserted in
the Congressional Record of June 6
by Senator Murray, Democrat, OF
Montana.
President Truman wholly ignores
the detailed arguments to these
which I presented on the floor OF
the United States Senate. Following
the lead of union labor leaders, the
President does not find a single
good provision in the entire bill.
He ignores every abuse by labor
unions which filled the record of
evidence before the committee.
While he gives lip service to the idea
of labor reform by saying that he
heartily condemns abuses on the
part of unions and employers. he
nowhere recognizes the existence Of
any specific abuse. He wants COM
mission to study the matter care
fully studied by committees of Con-
greSs for months with the best ex-
pert advice. This is the standard
plan of those who wish to delay
action. ...
None Deprived of Right.
He says that every power given
to the union labor leaders Is for the
benefit of labor and utterly ignores
that these members and their wives
and their families are the real suf-
ferers of arbitrary strikes. No work
man is deprived of any fundamental
right as the President stated this
evening. Only the arbitrary power
of labor bosses Is curbed
II there is one subject on which
every unprejudiced person Is
agreed, 1t is that unions must be
made responsible for their acts;
that collective bargaining cannot
continue to be an important factor
in our labor relations unless both
parties are bound by their con-
tracts.
The President criticizes every
provision designed to make unions
responsible. He criticizes the re-
quirement that they file financial
and other reports with the De-
partment of Labor.
Corporations have long been. re-
quired to file reports, both with
State and local authorities. Why
not unions?
He attacks the provisions that
unions may be sued for breach of
collective bargaining agreements,
on the ground that they should
not be bothered with having to
defend lawsuits regardless of what
they do.
He says they might be harassed
by suits by an employer. Every
body else in the United States is
subject to harassment by lawsuits.
Why not unions? In any event,
the purpose of this provision is to
induce them to live up to their
contracts, and If they do, few suits
If any will ever be filed.
Acted To Stop Lewis.
The President attacks the sec
ton permitting an injunction
against the Nation strike af-
fecting the national health and
safety. 1t was through such a
procedure he secured an injunction
against John L. Lewis last fall.
Last year, when faced by a Nation
wide strike, it was the President
himself who recommended Govern
ment seizure and the drafting of
all the strikers into the United
States Army.
Because Congress now gives him
a carefully considered authority to
allay such a strike, to attempt medi-
alton, and finally to conduct strike
vote when other remedies have been
exhausted, he says the procedure
will do more harm than good.
He refers to letting the Smith
Connally Act expire on June 80 with
out any protection whatever to the
people against Nationwide strikes
He claims that this bill would breed
too much Intervention in our eco
nomic life and imposes Government
control over free, collective bargain
ing The bill in no way interferes