Eastern Connecticut news., 1948-09-30
EASTERN CONNECTICUT NEWS

CT. Of the total number of place. ments, about 43,OOO,O0O were made during the war and 2O,000, ,0OO since.
 People who work for a living will remember all this forward looking legislation in their inter- est. But they are not likely to forget the Taft-Hartley Act which the Republican-controlled 80th Congress passed over the protests of the American Federation of La Dor, the Congress of Industrial Or ganizations, the independent un- ions and brotherhoods and affili- ated local and international unions. Nor will they forget the failure of the Congress to pass needed leg islation to combat imitation and provide adequate housing for workers.
 The Republican platform is af- raid to mention the Taft-Hartley Act.
 But the Democratic platform, which sets forth a definite labor program, point by point, says:
 We advocate repeal of the Taft Hartley Act It was enacted by the Republican 8Oth Congress over the Presidents veto. That act was proposed with the promise that it would secure the legiti- mate rights of both employers and employees in their relations affect ing commerce. It has failed |. We advocate such legislation as is desirable to establish "a just body of rules to assure free and effective collective bargaining, to determine, in the public interest, the rights of employees and em- ployers, to reduce to a minimum their conflict of interests, and to enable unions to keep their mem- bership free of communistic in- fuence."
 The Republican-contro1led 80th Congress had a field day of anti labor legislation. In addition to the Taft-Hartley law, it:
 Twice refused to approve reor- ganization plans for strengthening the manpower functions of the Department of Labor by making the U. S. Employment Service a permanent part o1 the department. Tn a final desperate action, the de- vice of an appropriation rider was used to transfer the U. s. Employ ment Service to the Federal Se- curity Agency. This antilabor ac- tion was taken over my veto.
 Deprived 750,00O workers of so- cial security benefits, over my veto.
 Reduced the appropriations of the Department of Labor by near ly 50 per cent. The Bureau of Vet erans' Unemployment Rights was cut 5O per cent and the Women's Bureau had to close field offices in New York, Philadelphia, Bos- ton, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco.
 Further disperced the labor functions of the federal govern ment by making an independent agency of the U. S. Cancellation Service, which had neen operating successfully in the Labor Depart ment for 34 years. The result has cost the taxpayer more money for the same service.
 The Republican 8Oth Congress also struck at workers by failing to pass the following prolabor leg islation for which bills had been introduced and were under con- sideration:
 An adequate bill to provide de- cent housing for millions of work ing people.
 Raise the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act from 40 to at least 75 cents an hour and extend the coverage of the act to millions of workers who now do not have it's protection.
 Increase old-age assistance and survivors benefits to meet the in- crease in the cost of living and extend the coverage of the Social Security Act tO 20. O0O. GOO not now