The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-08-12
BALL COMMITTEE WILL
WHITEWASH TIL AGAIN

ny IiS utAiy PiCoo tooN WCCh was
the final session of the 8Oth Con-
gress' Labor Management Rela-
tions Committee, presided over by
Sen. Joseph Ball (R., Minn.). The
lack of publicity was, for once,
okay by Ball, and the pro-Taft-
Hartley majority of the watchdog
committee. The meeting was an
executive session"
All that is known for sure is
that the "watchdogs" turned down
a motion by the committees four
pro-union Democrats calling for
the repeal of Taft-Hartley.
The Republican majority, butt
ressed by southern Democrats, is
expected to produce another report
similar to it's first survey of the
Taft Hartley laws operation. To
give some appearance of objectiv-
ity the majority may include a few
criticisms of the NLRB's admins
tration of the 1947 act, but it will
make no serious attack upon basic
Taft-Hartley provisions.
JEST what the Committee will
say about the amendments that
the NAM has recommended to make
Taft-Hartley a still more effective
anti-union device depends largely
on the results of the November
election. Important labor gains in
Congressional contests will keep
even the Ball group from recon-
menGing anti-picketing proposals
and prohibitions against industry
wide collective bargaining. A rep
etition of 1916 Republican triumph,
however, will spur the drive for the
passage of such amendments.
Ball received Senate okay on his
request to push up the report dead
line from January to March -
plenty of time in which to study
the election results.
The resolve of the Republican
high command to campaign on an
all-out support of Taft Hartley was
made clear last week when Rep.
Gerald Landis (R., Ind.) inserted
the stock justifications for Taft
Hartley in the Congressional Rec
ord. Before the Republican and
Democratic conventions Landis,
next House Labor Committee chair
man if the Republicans win, had
been leaning over backwards to
gain labor support for the COP by
to favor pro-labor
to the law. Sen. Rob-
ert A. Taft OR. Ohio) thruout the
special session has kept the Senate
Labor Committee from discussing
proposals to repeal or amend the
law, despite President Truman's |
demand that Taft Hartley repeal |
be part of the sessions agenda.
While scrupulously respecting
the executive session" rule which
Ball had invoked, the four pro-
labor members of the joint commit
tee did reveal last week that they
had urged the committee to recon-
mend the repeal of Taft-Hartley.
Sen. James Murray d., Mont.),
fresh from a victory in his states
said that the break
down in industrial relations caused
by Taft-Hartley has damaged Mon
5ana farmers who want new equip
ment. Small businessmen in the
western state, Murray added, op-
pose the tendency of the NLRB to
apply Taft-Hartley to their enter
priseS.
The same point was made by Sen.
Claude Pepper d., Fla.) who add
I'd that at is strange that Sen.
Taft, who inveighs against bureau
,racy and RECOMMENDATION SO often
should have fathered a bill which
low threatens to fasten one of
he most far-reaching and worst
.ypes of governmental interfer-
,nce on small business and indus
;ry."
Rep. John Lesinski d., Mich.) |,
Who represents an industrial dis
,rict said: "The act means govern {
nent by injunction. When thai '
again becomes the pattern in labor
management disputes, the violence
which characterized the recent
Kansas City packinghouse strike ;
which so shocked the nation will