Evening star., 1947-03-15
Labor
Continued From First Page.)

Labor
Continued From First Page.
in full and still remained in profit
able operation. And it was not nee
essary for Mr.. Stern to grant every
demand of the guild to obtain rea-
sonable contract settlement"
Saying that Mr.. Stern had left the
suspicion" with the committee that
he had been picked on" by Com
munists, Mr.. Murray defended the
Philadelphia Camden local of the
guild as "bulwark in the opposition
to communism in our organization y
1850 Others Lost Jobs:
THE deplorable fact is that Mr..
Stern's conduct" Mr.. Murray con-
tinued, in closing his plants, mot
only to the $50 striking guild men,
bers but to approximately 1900 other
employees has fertilized soil for Com
munist seeds.
Communist agitators are already
shouting their dual message:
"'You can't trust the bosses.
Let us show you how to do it,
II am not asking you to pass a
law about it. If you will just let
us alone we will see that Commu-
nists make no progress with their
shouting"
Hits Bill on COlumnists.
Mr.. Murray testified against a
bill in the House which would classi-
fly certain newspaper columnists
and radio commentators as pro-
fessionals" and take from them the
right to bargain on wages and work.
ing conditions. He. said such law
might be interpreted to include all
editorial employees and would split
the guild almost exactly in two,"
since its $4,000 membership is even
ly divided between editorial and
noneditorial department employees.
Mr.. Murray recommended three
changes in laws:
One, which he said would make
all elections, including those of
unions, more democratic would i'm
pose a fine on any citizen over 81
who fails to vote in any State,
municipal, corporation or organiza-
tional election in which he is quail
fed to vote"
The second Murray suggestion
would force all employees of a plant
covered by contract to become
members of union and participate
in its affairs after the union had
been designated as bargaining agent
by a majority of the workers.
Would Amend Wagner Act.
The third idea would amend the
Wagner Act to compel the National
Labor Relations Board to decide all
charges of unfair labor practices
within 80 days and to act on any
petition for a union representation
election within 60 days. Mr.. Muir
ray said in regard to the last pro-
posal that delays in getting action
before the NLRB were causes of in
dustrial unrest.
Earl Carroll, Hollywood Snowman,
and a group of small businessmen
were to be the final witnesses before
the committee.
The Senate Labor Committee
wound up its hearings a, week ago
and is now drafting an omnibus
labor bill for presentation to the
Senate. A Senator said that every
member of the 13-man committee
had expressed himself in closed ses-
sion as favoring some form of
remedial legislation dealing with the
labor situation.
Closed Sessions Start Wednesday.
Chairman Hartley said the House
committee will start closed-door
sessions to write a bill next We'd
nesday or Thursday. He added he
did not think the drafting would
take very long.
The committee ordered sweep
ing investigation of possible per-
jury by witnesses before it during
closed session yesterday. Attorney
General Clark assigned James M
McInerney, first assistant in the
Justice Departments Criminal Divi-
sion, to assist Irving 6. McCann
committee counsel, in making the
inquiry.
MIR. Hartley refused to name those
whose testimony would be investi.
gated, saying merely that more than
two persons were involved. He adj
ded the probe should take no more
than 10 days.
Perjury Still Studied. o.
Still pending before the committee
was motion of Representative Ken
nedy, Democrat. of Massachusetts,
that the committee cite for perjury
two officials of the CIO United Auto
Workers local at the Allis- Chalmers
Co. plant in Milwaukee.
The officials are Harold Christoffel
and Robert Buse, honorary presi-
dent and president of UAW Local
248.
Louis Budenz, former Communist
leader, now professor at Fordham
University, told the committee the
two labor leaders had been members
of the Communist Party. Several
weeks ago both denied under oath
before the committee that they ever
had been members of the party.
Mr.. Budenz also described the ac-
tivities Of a mysterious "Comrade
Juniper" whom he described as q
prominent national figure both in
and out of labor. He identified the
man in closed session, but the com.
mittee refused to reveal the mans
real name. His identity, however
is known generally by reporters.
| "Comrade Juniper" will be one oi