Evening star., 1947-05-05
.fassen Urges Stand
:By Truman on Labor
:BiIIs He Will Accept
1y the A..oeiuted pre.s ,

Ef NV 6ssV%f<tra y TesS
Harold E. Stassen urged today
. that President Truman make
clear what he will sign and what
he will not sign" In the way OF
. labor legislation.
He told a news conference 1t is
. @rather late" for the President to
sexpress his views, but that 1t could
.be done when the separate Senate
sand House labor measures reach a
econference committee to work out
differences in their bills to curb
.strikes and union practices.
The former Minnesota Governor
asserted he believed the ultimate
sbill could be adjusted there to bring
out legislation the President could
*approve.
Mr.. Stassen, now candidate for
the 1948 Republican presidential
nomination, declared there is "re-
sponsibility for attaining results"
for the American people in labor
legislation and these go 'far beyond
political maneuvering.
Failed To Make Detailed Study.
He said he is not characterizing
actions of either the Republican or
Democratic parties as political" In
working on the problem.
Mr.. Truman, he said, Should in
dicate willingness for a confer
ence with Republican leaders on the
subject.
At the same time, he added. the
leaders of the Republican party
should try to meet the views of the
President If he indicates a stand"
Mr., Stassen said that because Of
his recent trip abroad he had not
had an opportunity to make de-
tailed STUDY of the respective House
and Senate measures.
He declined to discuss in detail
either the measure already approved
by the House or the one now being
considered by the Senate.
Ives Opposes Bargaining Curbs.
Meanwhile, Senator Ives, Repub-
lican of New York, bucking conf
dent Republican leader, said their
plans to seek restrictions on indus
try-wide bargaining in the Senate
bill could lead to complete disin-
tegration of organized labor"
Senator Ives said he is really 60
ing to fight" the bargaining curb
backed by Senator Taft, Republican,
of Ohio. chairman of both the Sen
ate's Republican Policy and Labor
Committees.
The proposed amendent to the
pending labor bill is slated for de-
bate after the Senate acts on a
Federal Security-Labor Department
appropriation bill today.
Already assured bipartisan sup
port since it was introduced by
Senators Ball, Republican, of Min
nesota; Byrd, Democrat. of Virginia:
George, Democrat. of Georgia, and
Smith, Republican, of New Jersey.
1t would:
!. Forbid national unions to die
tate contract terms to their locals.
2. Prohibit recognition of national
unions for collective bargaining, ex-
cept on company-wide basis or
when competing companies are To-
Gated in the same metropolitan area.
Defends National Unions.
: Senator Ives said his opposition to
the provision is based on his belief.
that national unions are "the back
bone of the whole union structure
He added:
a If you cripple them, you are GO
ing a long way toward complete dis
tntegration of organized labor"
Senator Taft, in arguing for the
amendment, has pointed to bar
gaining in the steel industry as
a case in point. He contends that
the CIO steelworkerS refuse to per-
NIT local unions to sign a wage
contract unless 1t follows the ma
tional pattern and that this works
hardship on small companies,
particularly steel fabricators who
do not have their own mills.
Taft, Wherry See Passage.
Senators Taft and Wherry, the
Republican whip, predicted the
amendment will be adopted. They
added, however. they do not ex-
pect the two-thirds majority they
mustered when the Senate last
week wrote into the bill a pro-
vision outlawing union coercion of
workers. Such margin would be
required to override possible veto
of the omnibus labor bill by Presi-
dent Truman.
Even though several other amend
mentS still are pending, including
two more advocated by Senator
Taft, the Republican leadership
plans to push the big bill to final
vote by Friday Then it will 60 to
a conference committee to compro-
mise differences between it and the
more stringent Hartley bill passed
by the House.
Over the weekend a Democratic
congressional official said Mr.. Tru-
man has advised party legislative
leaders that he would veto the far
reaching Hartley measure but is
reserving Judgment on the bill shap-
ing up in the Senate.
Byrd Sees Catastrophe in Veto.
Senator Byrd, a co-sponsor of all
the amendments Senator Taft
wants. said in an interview it would
be a political catastrophe" for the
President to veto the labor bill
finally passed.
Declaring that a veto would be
tremendously resented by the
public. Senator Byrd added:
"The people will think-and prop
erly so-that the only way they can
get labor legislation is to elect a
Republican President"
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico, disagreed, saying ''the re-
sentiment of those who want puni-
tive legislation would be matched by
the approval of those who believe