Evening star., 1948-11-20
AFL Sets Up Council
To Police Congress
On Pledges 10 Labor
By jones Y. Newton
Stor Staff Correspondent

CINCINNATI, Nov. 20.-The Amer
lean Federation of Labor laid plans
here today to police the administra-
ton and the new Democratic Con-
gress to see to 1t that they live up
to campaign promises particularly
in regard to repeal Of the Taft
Hartley Act.
A special meeting of the AFL
Executive Council, held in connec-
ton with their convention, decided
to hold monthly meetings of legis-
lative representatives of the more
than 100 international unions, to-
gether with members of the council
to canvass the Washington situa-
ton.
The union representatives will
keep a close watch on developments
in Congress and then gather for an
exchange of views and for discus
sion of strategy. The meetings are
to be held in Washington.
Will Take No Chances.
Despite the assurances given to
the convention here by various Gov
ernment officials that the Truman
administration plans to deliver on
it's promises favorable to organized
labor, the AFL has decided to take
no chances and to keep watch care
fully on happenings in the Capital.
The convention was to hear re-
ports today from its Resolutions
Committee, including recommended
tions on a number of the most i'm
portant issues facing the country.
The attitude of the AFL on most OF
the issues is well known.
Vice President-elect Barkley was
scheduled to address the convention
late in the afternoon.
w. Averell Hartman, Marshall
Plan ambassador, told the dele
gates yesterday that the Western
democracies were definitely winning
the cold war in Europe and that
"in four years time we will wonder
why we were so concerned"
Sees Defeat of Communism.
Mr.. Hartman. who will confer
with President Truman in Wash
ington Monday and return to Eu-
rope within 10 days, predicted that
communism will be beaten without
the outbreak of shooting warfare.
He referred to the threat of So
Wet Russia as "the Goth century
barbarian invasion of Europe" and
added it "can be turned back and
without war" He held a news con-
ference after his formal address.
Mayor Hubert Humphrey of
Minneapolis, Senator elect from
Minnesota, was the hero of the day
here yesterday. Mr.. Humphrey,
who defeated Senator Joseph H.
Ball. leading exponent of restrict
i've labor legislation, was wildly ap-
plauded throughout his address,
lasting more than an hour.
Promises Housing Action.
Mr.. Humphrey, 37-year old father
of four children, told the delegates
he had been house-hunting in
Washington. After five days of
home-hunting," he said, you are
looking at Senator -elect who is
going to be a devil on wheels when
It comes to housing legislation"
After being introduced by AFL
President William Green as "a
hero" Mr.. Humphrey declared:
mot one labor leader has asked
me to sell my soul for anything I
don't believe in." He said he was
against the Hartley Act three
months before it was passed
Urging labor, farmers and small
businessmen to work together, Mr..
Humphrey said:
Let's get out of the basement and
on to the first floor Let's get out
of the bitches and onto the plateau
of economic reform"
Ewing Urges Agency Transfer.
Oscar r. Ewing, Federal security
administrator, declared that he fav-
ored the return from his agency to
the Labor Department of both the
United States Employment Service
and the Unemployment Compensa-
ton Bureau. He said the two
agencies never should have been
transferred from Labor AFL Pres
ident William Green declared it
was refreshing to hear a Federal Of
fetal offer to surrender any part of
his domain.
Approval of comprehensive pro-
grom for higher pay and improved
working conditions for Federal en-
ployes was postponed until late to-
day. recommendations before the
convention include the proposal Of
the Legislative Committee for repeal