Montana labor news., 1948-08-12
CONGRESS FAILS ON ALL ISSUES

AEI. President William Green de-
clared that American voters will place
the responsibility Tor inaction where
i, belongs. upon the leaders OF the S0th
congress"
Speaking before the S5th annual con
~vcntion OF the New York State Fedora
ton OF Labor. the AlI leader charged
that congressional leaders, motivated
by politics. have ignored President Tru-
mans straightforward request for
legislation To halt initiation, provide
housing facilities for low-income fam
lies. and to repeal the Taft-lIartley
law.
Asserting that the politics charge
which is being hurled at Mr.. Truman
by his opponents clearly applies with
lar greater force against the leaders OF
the S0th congress-" Mr.. Green said:
Il challenge Senator TAFT and his
colleagues in the senate to deny that
they deliberately instigated the iilibus-
ter in the senate over poll-tax legisla-
ton as a political mancuvcr to block
action on necessary legislation and to
force adjournment OF the special ses-
sion without accomplishing a single
constructive advance
That is the kind Of evil politics
which will boomerang against its per-
pctrators. The American voters will
not be hoodwinked by such obvious
political trickcry."
Mr.. Green ridiculcd another argu-
mcnt advanced by leaders Of the con-
gross that no emergency existed to JUS
tify a special session. Singing out the
issue Of the rising cost OF living, he in
quircd
What constitutes an emergency Is
is justifiablc and normal for prices to
keep going up at a rate which is rob
hing every worker in the nation OF his
hard-carncd wages and driving house
wives to distraction? Can we afford
to let the evil effects Of initiation con
tinle indefinitely Can we take the
risk OF an eventual crash which would
cause 4 price collapse. throw millions
Of workers out OF jobs. close up fac
tories and bankrupt farmers: Are we
going to permit the leaders OF the SOtf
congress whose sole interest is to pro-
tcct the freedom Of big business tc
charge American consumers all tn
traffic will bear, to drive us into an
other Hoover depression with their do
nothing policies?
These are questions which every
Amcican voter should consider care
fully and answer cmphatically with hi
or her vote on election day
Mr.. Green urged delegates to thu
convention to actively support Labor!
League for Political Education in it
drive to bring about the election o
congressional candidates pledged to re
peal the vicious Taft-Hartley law. Pre-
dieting that labor can obtain "a rca
mandate from the American people.
he said.
I'VE can accomplish that great goa
If we work for it-and work hard. w
must see to it that every member OF on
to vote and that all members OF hi
family OF voting age also register. he'
unions register 50 that he can qualit.
during the election campaign. we mus
keen hammering home the issues to tn
people we represent 5 0 that they Wi
not be mislcd by the false propagand,
Of the r%cactionarics who would like t
see organized labor destroyed and al
economic and social progress wipe
out. Finally, we must make certai
that the workers in our home cominu
mites throughout the nation go to tn
nolls on election day and cast thei
ballots"