Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-27
Truman Back at Work
On Talk 10 Congress
After Marking Holiday
By Joseph A. Fox
Stur SscH corysspondspt

Star Stoff Correspondent
KANSAS CITY, MO-, Dec. 81
President Truman today was
ready to dig in again on the all
important state of the Union
message he plans to deliver to
the 81st Congress In person a
week from Wednesday.
Ending a two-day holiday spiced
with two Christmas dinners" with
relatives, the Chief Executive was
coming in from his home in nearby
Independence to the work room"
in the Muehlebach Hotel where top
members of the White House staff
were on duty again after spending
Christmas day in Washington.
The President said this morning
his message to Congress was In
pretty good shape" but that there
was still quite a bit to be done on
it.
As usual, the President was up
about s o'clock and got in an hour
and a half of work before starting
out on a brisk rs minute jaunt over
Independence slippery snow
covered streets.
Joined by Neighbors.
He was joined several times on
the route by neighbors who talked
town gossip and told the President
how glad they we're to see him.
Passing the Presbyterian Church,
President Truman said that was
the first place he attended Sunday
School.
As he posed for photographers on
the steps of the little brick edifice,
Mr.. Truman recalled with a smile,
This was where I met the boss.
She was a mighty little girl then,
and / was a mighty little boy" The
reference was to Mrs. Truman, who
was Bess wallace in those days.
The President still has q lot of
ground to cover in the message, for
the document will embody compre-
hensive list of legislative recon-
mendations in line with the Demo-
cratic platform-and the campaign
promises on which MIR. Truman was
reelected. The writing task is COM
plicated by the fact that the docu-
ment probably will have to be boiled
down to keep 1t within about Is
minutes speaking time, which
means from $500 to 5000 words.
Civil Rights Stand Awaited.
Principal interest in this message
will revolve around what the Presi-
dent has to say on labor and civil
rights On the first item, there will
be some sort of substitute proposed
for the Taft-Hartley Act, but in
discussing this, Mr.. Truman has
gone no further than to say that
he will proceed along the line Of
earlier recommendations. These
would outlaw jurisdictional strikes
and certain" secondary boycotts,
provide for a cooling off" period
before strikes could be called in
basic industries such as steel, coal
and automobiles, and set up labor
management conference to work out
a program for industrial peace.
On civil rights, MIR. Truman has
said that he expects to go down
the line with demands for an anti
lynching law and abolition of the
poll tax, along with the other
racial equality" proposals which
drove part of the South out of the
Democratic Party.
Imitation will be something else
to be tackled in the state-of the
Union message, but this subject also
will be dealt with at length In the
economic report which also goes
early to Congress from the Council
Of Economic Advisers. Still a third
message will deal with the budget,
and In this, the administrators
tax program will be outlined.
Secretaries Rejoin President.
When the President started to
work today, he had back with him
Secretaries Charles G. Ross and
Matthew ]. Connolly; Donald Daw-
son, administrative assistant, and
two aides, Maj. Gen. Harry H.
Vaughan, Army, and Brig. Gen.
Robert B. Landry, air. all Of whom
few in late yesterday from the
Capital on the independence.
Despite near-Zero temperature
and icy streets, Mr.. Truman got in
his usual mile -and-one half walk |
early yesterday, then motored at
midday from Independence to
Grandview for his second Christ /,
mas dinner with his brother, j.
Vivian Truman, and sister, Mary
Jane, and other members of the !
Truman family. Mrs. Truman and
Margaret accompanied the Presi-
dent. who lugged a bushel basket
of fruit to the farm home, where
dinner was served for rs. The
President ate turkey at his own
home on Christmas Day. He will
return to WASHINGTON Wednesday.