Evening star., 1948-01-25

gdlllZeQ business COQLTlputlOIlS.
The NAM is defending the Taft
Hartley law. In an issue of the
NAM News 1t reprinted from Look
magazine an article reporting the
findings Of the Opinion Research
Corp. to the effect that 81 per
cent of the workers interviewed
said Congress should not have
passed the law, 81 per cent said
that it should and Is per cent had
no opinion. When the samplers
asked about separate provisions Of
the law, an overwhelming majority
of all employees favored various pro-
visions. Percentages reported for
union members only were i to IL
per cent under those for all em-
ployes. The highest percentages
among union members were for
union financial reports, IS per cent;
prohibitions against Communist
union leaders, II per cent, and the
allowance Of union shop only with
majority vote, IT per cent.
Taft Target of All
This poll has been challenged or
ignored by union leaders and, like
all samplings, is subject to ques.
tioning as to extent of the inter-
views. The Republican National
Committee is distributing a con-
densed version in the form of
reprint from Newsweek.
Contributions are likely to in
crease, however, if Senator Robert
A. Taft is the Republican presi-
Dental nominee. Virtually every
labor publication is already cam
against Taft as persona
fication of the law Of which he Is
the co-author.
The Democrats are likely to be
the general beneficiaries of what
ever millions organized labor raises.
Labor's changed attitude toward
Truman is exemplif1ed by the recent
conversion of President A. F. Whit
ney Of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen-which is not In the Rail-
way Labor's Political League-who
said at the time of the 1946 railroad
strike that his union would spend
millions to defeat Truman.
Henry A. Wallace's candidacy for
the presidency on third-party
ticket is likely to cause only minor
diversion of union campaign con-
tributions and political activity. Mr..
Kroll of the CIO-PAC has an
nounced that ut has been the policy
OF PAC not to support third-party
ticket"
Labor, weekly newspaper of the
railway brotherhoods, advised its
readers not to throw away their
votes by voting for Wallace. The
AFL has never been particularly
friendly to Wallace, who in 1914 was
the CIO-PAC candidate for the vice
nomination. Further
more, President Green has even
banned political collaboration this
year with the PAC, alleging that the
CIO-PAC is Communist dominated.
Mr.. Green, speaking after the
30-man AFL Political Committee
had postponed until next month
the selection of a director for Labor's
Political Education League, person.
ally assailed the Wallace candidacy
last week and predicted that labor
generally would oppose the third
party ticket.
Collections Not Revealed
Il think as the picture unfolds,"
Mr.. Green said, lit will be made
pretty clear that Wallace is spon-
sored by Communists. The genuine
liberals and progressives who think
clearly and soundly will not be for
him."
No accurate estimate can be made
as to how much the unions eventu-
ally will be able to collect. None
Of the organizations will disclose
how much has been collected to date.
The usual explanation given Is that
the drive has just started. Both
the AFL and the CIO contemplate
a $3.50 division of funds between
local and national expenditure. The
railroad brotherhoods' Political
League is not expected to seek q
large fund. The brotherhoods have
had long record of effective politi-
cal activity in supporting Senator'S
and Representatives who have voted
right" on workers legislation
Political view in labor publications
brings up a controversial provision
Of the Hartley law. The sec
ton prohibiting labor organiza-
ton from expending union funds In
any election, primary, convention or
caucus at which a President, Vice
Senator and Represent
ative is to be chosen has been in
terpreted by Senator Taft and others
as applying to the use of union dues
and assessments on publications
urging the selection or rejection Of
such candidates.
Labor Editors Punch Hard
Labor leaders and labor editors
argue that this section of the law
is unconstitutional in that 1t violates
the freedom of-speech clause OF the
first amendment. Edward Keating,
editor Of Labor, wrote that he was
willing to go to prison to test this
section. Other editors have made
similar announcements. None has
pulled his punches in the trade
union news and editorials. The C1O
deliberately violated this section by
using union funds on publications
in the special congressional elections
in Maryland and Pennsylvania last
year.
Strictly politicaI funds, however,