Evening star., 1948-11-18
Tobin Has SqueIched
Outright Repeal Plan
On Tah-HatIey Act
Simultaneous Possoge
OF New Labor Law Seen
Likely Congress Move
Rp David Laurence

Likely Congress Move
By David Laurence
Labor leaders who have been hop
ing to stampede the next Congress
with the cry that the people voted
to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act with
out any substitute except the old
Wagner Act will have to revise their
thinking.
Within the last few days the labor
leaders-both CIO and AFL-have
stated publicly that they want an
immediate repeal of the Taft-Hart-
ley Act and then an interval OF time
while Congress considers proper
substitute.
This plan, however, now has been
publicly squelched by Maurice Tobin,
Secretary of Labor in the Truman
administration, who apparently Is
going to have a good deal to say
about the kind Of labor law that re-
places the Taft-Hartley Act.
Maybe the labor leaders didn't
read very carefully what the Secre-
tary of Labor said in his speech last
Monday to the convention OF the
American Federation Of Labor at
Cincinnati, but he minced no words
when it came to outlining the pro-
cedure that would be followed by the
administration.
Used Word Simultaneous
He said:
simultaneous with repeal, there
must be substituted fair and just
law which will encourage and pro-
tect lowly paid workers in unioniz-
ing attempts and which will aid
labor and management to maintain
industrial peace Nlnder the proc
esses of free collective bargaining"
The use Of the word "simultane-
GUS" indicates that Mr.. Tobin at
least has no illusions about the Sue
cess of any proposal to repeal the
Taft Hartley Act and leave the
country with only the old Wagner
Act for even brief period of time.
The strategy of the labor leaders,
of course, has been to get the Taft
Hartley Law repealed, and then to
hold their veto power over Congress
as to what kind of law should be
substituted for the Taft-Hartley
Acts provisions. Actually, the situ-
alton is going to work out in just
the reverse way. 1t is the supporters
of the Taft-Hartley Law who will
hold the veto over what kind of
substitute law shall be passed. It
is safe assumption now that the
Taft-Hartley Law will never be re-
pealed until an agreement has been
reached on the kind of law that
will take its place.
For one thing, there are many
cases pending in the courts and the
status of the present National La
Dor Relations Board would be i'm
periled If the Taft-Hartley Law
were repealed without any reference
to substitute. The labor board
consisted of three members before
the Taft-Hartley Law was passed
and now 1t has five members. Two
OF these would be without jobs upon
restoration Of the Wagner Act while
a long debate might ensue as to
how that act should be amended.
There are other cases in process
OF litigation which would be af-
fected. and it would result in q
chaotic condition if provisions in
the present law were repealed with
out a, substitute taking its place on
the same day. .a
Bill Will Bear New Name.
As a matter of fact, after Con-
2ress gets through working on a
new law, it is doubtful whether the
word repeal" will have any mean
ing except for campaign purposes.
The Democrats will be able to point
to the fact that they have re
pealed" the statute, but as a practi-
cal matter all that will have been
done will be to modify some of the
provisions of the Taft Hartley Act
and the old Wagner Act and enact
q new law which will probably bear
the name of some Democratic mem
bers.
The battle over the Taft-Hartley
Act may be as important in the
next Congress as any attempt to
Introduce civil-rights legislation.
The political life of many members
Of the Democratic Party in the
South is inseparably bound up with
the whole problem of the unioniza-
ton of Southern workers.
Just what kind of law will be
passed it is too early to say, but it
Is a fact that S. members OF the
United States Senate who voted for
the Taft-Hartley Act are to be
members of the next Congress. In
the House of Representatives more
than majority who voted for the
Taft Hartley Act are also to take
their seats. There are many Demo-
Gratis who were elected from farm
districts who will not favor a one
sided labor law.
1t is more realistic to say the
Taft Hartley Act will be repealed or
modified only when the supporters
of that law have agreed to a COM
promise substitute. This will take
time and it may be next spring be-
fore any agreement can be reached
on the subject.
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