Evening star., 1948-07-08
Union Leader Elected
From Witness Chair
AT House Red Probe
BY the kssociofed Press


NEW YORK, July ga union
leader was forcibly ushered from
the witness chair today at a House
investigation of al
legged Communist inflltration into
unions.
The union official, Jack Paley,
secretary-treasurer of Local IS, Re-
tail, Wholesale and Department
Store Union of America, CIO, was
the first witness called at today's
session.
The hearings started yesterday
with tumultuous session during
which three union leaders refused
to answer when asked if they were
Communists.
Representative Kersten, Republi-
can, of Wisconsin, subcommittee
chairman, asked Paley whether he
was one of a group of CIO union
officials who hailed the Daily
Worker on its Goth anniversary in
January, 1914.
Samuel A. Neuberger, counsel for
some of the witnesses, advised Paley
that he had a right to protection
under the first and fifth amend
ments to the Constitution. He said
the Daily Worker "is alleged to be
the official organ of the Communist
Patry.'
Escorted to Next Room.
When Mr.. Kersten put the ques-
ton for the third time, Mr.. Paley
said:
You're not interested in me per-
sonally-you never heard of me-"
please remove this man from the
courtroom" Mr.. Kersten broke in.
AS marshals gathered around the
witness and escorted him into an
adjacent room, Mr. Neuberger pro-
tested that Mr.. Paley was being
,incarcerated illegally by this COM
mittee."
Mr.. Kersten replied that che was
excused for the reason that his re-
plies were evasive' The chairman
said Mr.. Paley was excused until
this afternon only, under orders to
produce more records of the locals
receipts and disbursements from
May /, 1947, to June 30, 1948, along
with minutes of the unions general
council meetings.
Mr.. Kersten questioned Mr.. Paley
as to salaries of union officials,
pledges of funds by union members
to the Henry A. Wallace campaign
for President and methods of voting
on the question of whether the I'M
ion should file non-C Communist affi-
davits as required by the Taft-Eart-
ley Law.
Pledged by Members.
In reply to one question about
members of local IS pledging money
for the Wallace campaign, Mr.. Paley
said;
Our members have pledged that
they will contribute several thou
sands to Wallace's campaign and
I'm sure they will keep that pledge" :"
Are you aware of the fact that
$4,000 of union funds was pledged
as only the beginning to the Wal
lace campaign" Mr.. Kersten asked.
Mr.. Paley said that although union
members had contributed to polit-
ical campaigns, "the local union out
of it's funds-out of its treasury
has not contributed"
When the hearing opened Mr.
Neuberger said that the public was
being barred. Mr. Kersten replied
that the marshals had been in
structed to admit those for whom
there were seats.
One of the union leaders, Arthur
Osman, president of Local IS, told
the committee yesterday:
I'VE are going to take people like
you and run you out of Congress"
Spectators Applaud.
His threat was applauded by spec
tators who packed the 13th-foor
hearing room in the Federal Court
house
Chairman Hartley Of the House
Labor and Education Committee, of
which the investigating group is a
part, said it would be decided later
whether contempt charges will be
pressed against the three who re-
fused to say if they are Communists.
Besides Mr.. Osman, these CUES
toned were David Livingston, vice
president of the CIO local, and
Esther Letz, unit director.
They challenged the right of the
subcommittee to ask about their po-
litical beliefs, and declared that an
swering the question would tend to
lncriminate them.
Henry I of England aided Flemish
wool weavers by offering them relig-
ious sanctuary in Worsted-from
which The industry borrowed its