Evening star., 1949-01-13
Labor Lobby Seen 0u1
To Dictate Procedure
On Taft Act Chances
I and z Package Ideos
Have in Them More
Than Meets the Eye
By David Laurence

By David La,Crence
The "one package" and "two|
package" ideas with respect to
amendment or repeal of the Taft
Hartley Act have in them more
than meets the eye. o
1t is strange case in which labor
unions really want to dictate the
procedure by which Congress shall
consider legislation. Like other lob
bies here, they have every consti-
tutional right to petition Congress
and to urge that certain legislation
be taken up in way that will be
favorable to their interests. But
Congress alone decides how much
1t will yield to such pressure and
Influence.
In the case of the labor union
lobby, 1t is getting ready to threaten
members of both Houses with pun
ishment at the polls if they fail to
do as the labor unions ask. This
Is very effective because the citizens
who could be interested in defending
members of Congress at the ballot
box for voting their convictions
without regard to threats are not
organized and hence that part Of
the membership which sees no sup
port for its side is inclined to be
timid and do what the labor unions
want.
Viewpoint of Labor.
The labor viewpoint quite natur-
ally favors a two package" ap-
proach-that is, repeal of the Taft
Hartley Act and re-enactment Of
the Wagner labor relations law
without change except to keep the
dve-man National Labor Relations
Board, which used to be composed
of three members under the old
law. Then the labor unions say
they will be willing to see a new
law passed which carries out some
of the proposals for a substitute
made by the President.
Even this minimum is reluctantly
agreed to and the truth is the labor
leaders feel confident that once the
Wagner Act is restored there will
be no further legislation at this
SCSSlOll, ll1S OOCO 41OV ll1Cy
will favor such a step, but it does
mean that the attempt of the groups
which represent a public-interest
viewpoint to get some of the feat
ures of a balanced labor manage
ment law enacted would meet such
opposition as to prolong the debate.
Each side would accuse the other
of being responsible for the death
of the legislation.
For II years after the Wagner
Act was passed in 1885, the labor
union lobby succeeded in prevent
ing any amendments whatsoever. Al
favorable majority in the Senate
committee helped to bottle up all
amendments. The House on sew
eral occasions by overwhelming ma
iorities voted to amend the Wagner
law. This reflected a mandate from
the country The Democrats were
in control Of Congress while all
these measures passed the House
Both parties wanted them.
Counting on the support Of men,
bers of the Senate Labor Commit
tee who have been hand picked to
help do what the labor union lobby
wants, it may be expected that a
1.-TWO package" approach would end
any chance of a balanced law. It
would be the first dramatic evidence
that the fair deal" was not being
given as promised.
'One Package Approach.
But even if the so-called "one
package" approach is used. the
situation could be very much the
same. Labor leaders would ask that |
the amendments be kept to a mini
mum and, in order to expedite the
legislation, the majority in Congress
would be pressed to put the measure
through with few noncontroversial
amendments and let the whole mat
ter be studied by joint committee
Of Congress.
The chances Of delaying passage
Of the "one package bill in any form
satisfactory to the neutral group
which wants to see a fair law
adopted are dependent wholly on
whether the country really becomes
interested in the issues, or whether
Congress considers that a mandate"
was given by the people to put a
one-sided labor law back on the
statute books.
The Republicans would filibuster
and delay passage of the lone pack
age" bill until a satisfactory COM
promise was attained but the same
Republicans are now conspiring
with the radical Democrats to limit
debate and amend the Senate rules
SO that the Senate can steamroller
bill through just as the House
does.
The Republicans seem to have
miscued on their strategy on fill
busters. This is a weapon Of the
minority and the Republicans are
in the minority. The Southern
Democrats probably would vote
with the Republicans on labor is
sues if the latter would not press
changes in the rules on filibusters.
It will take little while for the
labor bill to reach the Senate, by
which time the civil-rights con-
troversy will have clarified the posi-
ton of Southern Senators and per-
haps Republicans, too, on the mat
ter of fitibustering.
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