Evening star., 1949-01-20
The Political Mill
Myers Sounds Party Cry
For Labor Leaders, Help
Senator Reveals Fears of Democrats
Over Taft Act Repeal Pledge
By Gould Lincoln


The first cry for help-to put through Con.
gress the liberal pledges of the Democratic
PLATFORM really means the Truman
programmes gone from Democratic Senator
Myers of Pennsylvania to leaders of organized
labor Frankly Senator Myers says, in his plea:
THE new Congress is going to need help
1t seems redundancy to suggest that the Ia.
Dor lobby in Washington get busy. Perhaps
that is not what Senator Myers had in mind
so much as an effort TO get the CIO, the AFI,
the United Mine Workers, the railroad brother.
hoods and independent unions to work together.
Certainly he refers to their successful collabo.
ration during the last election campaign.
The Myers plea is astonishing in way, for
it reveals the official whip" of the Democratic
Party in the Senate appealing to an outsids
lobby to work on individual members Of Con.
gress, to get the votes needed to pass legislation,
a cynical proposal to pressure group, if ever
there was one. 1t seems plea, however, that
will not fall on deaf ears. President William r.
Green of the American Federation Of Labor ale
ready has threatened the political life of any
member of the new Congress who fails to vots
for repeal of the Taft-Hartley Labor Act and
the restoration of the Wagner Act with only
the few amendments which labor itself may
sanction
Leaders Bid to Dinner.
Mr.. Green is one of the labor leaders invited
by Senator Myers to dinner at the Mayfower
Hotel here on January 26, to meet with him and
several other Senators" to discuss plans for
effective action. Others invited include Philip
Murray, head of the CIO; John L. Lewis, presi.
dent of the United Mine Workers; A. r. Whit
ney, Harvey Brown, Alvanley johnson, H. W.
Fraser and George Harrison If they all at.
tend, the great mass of organized labor in the
United States will be represented.
Obviously, the Macedonian roar for aid now
going up is particularly designed to help the
Democratic Congress repeal the Taft-Hartley
labor law. The chances for repeal" as repeal
is interpreted by the labor leaders, are not
bright. The fear of labor dominated Democrats
is that whatever legislation goes through Con-
gress, repeating the Taft-Hartley Act, will also
at the same time resurrect many OF the pro-
visions of that act.
This is just what the labor people wish to
avoid. They want repeater, reinstating the
Wagner Act with practically no amendments:
indeed, they would prefer greatly repeal bill
which reinstated the Wagner Act with no
amendment. Then they might gracefully agree
to a few changes but they and their allies In
Congress and in the White House would then
be in position to bring about presidential
veto of any amendments which labor did not
Want-and the chances are they could not bs
passed over such veto. But if these amend.
ments are contained in the repeal bill, Mr.. Tru.
man and labor would have to take them or bs
satisfied with the retention of the Taft-Hartley
Act, since that would be the effect Of presi-
dental veto of new legislation.
Speedy Action Doubted
Also it looks as though the promise to put
the Taft-Hartley repeater through in jig time.
made during the campaign cannot be full.
filled. Chairman Thomas of the Senate Com.
mittee on Labor has said he proposed to hold
hearings, and it is expected that the House
Labor Committee, headed by Representative
Lesnski of Michigan, will do the same Senator
Pepper of Florida, one of the left-wingers has
announced he will move to report the bill out
of committee without the process of hearings.
Although the committee is heavily prolabor, it
is doubtful that such maneuver will be effec.
tive. Senator Taft of Ohio, chairman of the
committee when the measure bearing his mans
was put through Congress, has said that il
Senator Pepper carries out his threat, he, Sen.
ator Taft, will offer in committee many amend.
ments to the repeal bill. salvaging provisions
of the Taft-Hartley law.
Mr.. Pepper has charged that this would bs
a fllibustering tactic by the Republican leader
But as Senator Taft patiently points out, he has
a perfect right to offer amendments which he
hopes a majority of the committee and of the
Senate will support, and to have them dis.
cussed in the Senate committee
Senator Myers dinner with the labor leaders
should be interesting, both for what he has to
tell them and what they have to say to the
Senators.