Evening star., 1947-04-02

mis- lead Dut improved MS pOSltlOl.
He is engaged in no overt activity
to promote his presidential candi-
dacy, and this improvement is
clearly due to two reasons.
One Is that having no national
Office he is removed from the en-
barrassing handling of so many
controversial questions, such, for
example, as Senator Taft Is exposed
to. At the same time, as Governor
of New York he holds a public
Office OF such conspicuous impor-
tance that he does not have to strive
after publicity In order to keep
himself in the popular mind.
In this he has a great advantage
over former Gov Stassen, who,
though the one avowed presidential
aspirant, holds neither State nor
national office. Hence, he is rather
hard pushed to keep in the public
eye. At the moment he is In Europe,
where his presence seems to have
attracted very little attention.
His Job Has Been Well Done.
Another reason for the Dewey
Improvements is that the manner in
which he has been doing his job,
both as an administrator and as his
party's leader throughout long
and tough session of the State Legis-
lature, has combined to strengthen
the public impression of competency
which he made early in his career
and which undoubtedly Is one OF
his chief political assets.
In addition, Gov. Dewey has led
the way in the Nation for the kind
of restrictive labor legislation which
the people generally want. The bill
which he sponsored and has now
signed makes it illegal for any public
employe of either city or State to
strike. 1t makes impossible the sort
OF transportation strike with which
the Communist councilman, Mike
Quill, has several times brought the
great city of New York to the brink
Of disaster.
A simple bill with severe penal
ties. 1t protects the public of New
York City and State from strikes
Of policemen, firemen, garbage col
lectors, street cleaners, transit work
ers, schoolteachers or any other kind
of public servant. 1t was passed not
only against the almost solid op-
position of the Democrats In the
General Assembly but with every
CLIO, Communist and left-wing
agitator in the State denouncing
it and the Governor with all the
fury of which they are capable.
Unperturbed by the vituperation
and abuse of these elements, all of
which were opposed to his re-elec-'
ton in 1916, Mr.. Dewey calmly
enacted his proposal into law.
No one will contend that this has
not strengthened him in the coun-
try as a whole as we'll as inside the
Republican Party. Unquestionably
the great bulk of the American
people favor the sort of labor law
with which he has identified him
self.
Established as Party Leader.
The credit of being the pioneer
along this line after some ID years
of humiliating subservance to the
CIO bosses means a good deal in
. the way of prestige. 1t establishes
him-temporarily at least-as a
leader in the field where the Re-
publican Party has got to function
boldly or disappoint large part
of those who voted Republican in
1916. Meanwhile, Republicans in
Congress have been wrestling with
this labor problem for nearly three
months and are not expected to act
finally until May-at least.
The job that confronted Mr..
Dewey, of course, was far easier
and simpler than the one that con-
fronts Senator Taft. The former