Evening star., 1949-05-24

u OhWhiin9 10 ~cCePt
Any Compromise Bill
Despite Need Of New Low
By David Laurence
President Truman gives the
impression to members of Con-
gress that he really doesn't want
to see the Taft-Hartley Act re-
pealed until sometime In 1851
after 1t has become a political
issue In the congressional elec.
tions Of 1850.
Unwilling to accept any bill
except the administration meas
ure which has been rejected by an
overwhelming vote Of the House
of Representatives. the President
Is diseouraging all talk OF compro-
mise, such as the Sims Bill or
anything else Of that nature.
Curiously enough, there are
people on the employer side who
don't want this session OF Con-
gress to act either, so it looks on
the surface as If the President
and the arch defenders Of the
Taft-Hartley Act are on the same
side.
When the Taft-Hartley Act was
being considered in 1947, this cor
respondent criticized it as a
hodgepodge but said 1t was better
than the Wagner Act in that 1t
attempted at least to protect the
rights of both labor and manage
ment. This is a far cry, however,
from accepting the Taft-Hartley
Law indefinitely as the right kind
Of labor management legislation.
Clarified Law Wanted.
A substantial majority in both
Houses want to see substituted for
the Taft Hartley Act q new law
that will clarity the rights Of both
management and unions and one
that will reduce the area Of dis
pute and litigation and encourage
collective bargaining in good
faith. Mr.. Truman evidently
doesn't wish to see any concilia-
tory attitude adopted or any bill
drafted which would satisfy both
sides. He insists on an extreme
position and has thus frustrated
the efforts Of many Administra-
ton Democrats who really want
something done on labor-manage-
ment legislation at this session.
The labor unions are in the
position Of wanting to follow their
principal partisan. Mr.. Truman.
and yet some of their leaders fear
that time may work against modi-
fication Of the Taft-Hartley Act.
The public isn't too much inter-
ested In remedial labor-manage-
ment legislation in a period OF
strikes and work stoppages.
II business conditions do not
improve. there will be q tendency
anyway to let the Taft-Hartley
Act stay on the statute books with
out change. To put it another
way, the public demand for legis-
lation will be lessened If unem-
ployment increases It will be
recognized then that the high
wage levels may have to be re-
duced and this will tend to work
against the. strategy Of the labor
union leaders. ,,..a a.. ya,.
FThe points of real difference be-
tween labor and management are
not numerous. Compromise, or
rather reconciliation Of : view
points, IL, possible. ,4otos, ysf.s
Meanwhile. the Presidents tao
tics are causing, considerable spec
ulation. One report has 1t that
he plans to WOO the Southern
Democrats by giving them patron
age rather than by holding 1t over
them as a club or means OF pun
ishment. II any strategy with
reference to patronage does work,
It is this approach which would be
effective as against a continuous
controversy and series of threats.
"No Compromise" Bloc.
There are some administration
leaders who think that a bill can
be reported out of the House
Labor Committee this summer.
Others prefer to see the Senate
take the initiative In working out
d satisfactory bill and then press
for action in the House. But If
Mr.. Truman lets 1t be known that
he doesn't like 1t. there are enough
Republicans opposed to any legis-
lation at this session. plus the
administration Democrats who
are taking the mo compromise"
position, to form a substantial
bloc which can keep the Taft
Hartley Act from being repealed
or even amended at this session.
Mr.. Truman is no doubt think
ing Of the effective campaigning
done by labor unions in the last
election, and he may feel that the
Taft-Hartley issue will serve as
q rallying point again for labor
union activity and the use Of
labor-union funds in the cam
paign. Usually in mid-presidential
terms there has been difficulty In
working up a national issue for q
congressional campaign. Mr.. Tru-
man hopes to break that pre-
cedent with the aid Of the unions
and get such q huge majority
IN 1850 as to sweep the Taft
Hartley Act off the statute books
In January 1851. replacing 1t with
the old Wagner law.
The theory behind the tactics
of delay is primarily political. 1t
completely ignores the economic
condition Of the country. which
would be improved materially II
labor-management relations were
clarified so that business plan
ming could proceed and price ad-
is,etv,ooy,fc ho oefo h1fehAd m q firm