Montana labor news., 1949-05-12
Haneck-Wood Bill
Voted in
Then Voted Out

In two frenzied. action-packed
days the labor-libcral members in
the House OF Representatives failed
last week to get the Taft-Hartley
Act repealed. failed to defeat the
equally vicious lialleck-Wood Bill
by a close vote OF 2l7 TO 203. and
then on the next day succeeded i'll
rccommitting the whole mess back
to committee by a photo finish OF
PIP to 200.
In short, we are right back where
we started. The Labor Committee
is now faced with the task OF writ
ing a bill that will not only be fair
but acceptable to a majority OF the
House. At least the vote last week
indicated how many friends we
have in the House.
AI'L members who worked SO
hard III the last election should not
be discouraged. We have come a
long way since two years ago.
When the Taft Hartley Act passed
we had only II Democrat friends
and II Republican friends III the
House. The bill passed by a 4 to
! margin OF 33l to 80. This year
the Hallcck-Wood Bill just squeezed
by with only IA votes to spare and
then was recommitteed. We had
increased our friends in the Demo-
cratic party from II to l8l and our
Republican friends from II to p.
Why How? Because we got into
the l94S election in earnest. As
tribute to our efforts only 2 out Of
the l72 LLPE-backed candidates
elected in November voted against
us last week.
OF the 225 Representatives who
voted for Taft-Hartley and were
reelected last November, 81 have
changed their position and voted
against lilt OOu Dlll tlllS iiiS . :
y Democrats and s Republicans.
During the night that interviewed
between the vote on the Halleck-
God Eli and the vote to recommit,
enough votes were mustered to send
the bill back to committee but
BY the slim margin Of only 3 votes,
PIP to POO. Most OF the votes which
switched over to labor's side to re-
commit the bill came from Southern
Democrats. They we're: Bolton,
Md: Evins, Tenn, Fallon, Md;
Hardy, Va; Harris, Ark; Hays,
Ark. Herlong. Fla. Norrell, Ark;
Peterson, Fla. and Tackett, Ark.
In addition Democrats O'Brien
OF Ohio and Whitaker of Kentucky,
who hadn't voted the day before,
and Cooley OF North Carolina, who
was paired the day before, got on
the record favoring recommittal.
On the Republican side Fulton OF
Pennsylvania and Patterson OF
Connecticut who had voted against
the Wood Bill switched on econ
initial, but Cunningham OF Iowa
voted Tor recommittal after voting
ior the Wood Bill previously.
Symbolic OF the change III this
Congress over the last is the vote
by the Arkansas delegation. All
seven Arkansas representatives
voted wrong on Tait-Hartley two
years ago, but last week . out OF
the 7 voted with labor to recommlt
the Halleck- Wood bill.
On the Senate side Robert Iatt
Of Ohio has introduced his version
OF the Halleck-W Wood Bill to be
known as the TAFT Donnell- Smith
bill. Apparently this substitute is
not very good since Morse Of Ore
eon and Aiken OF Vermont refused
to give their blessing or signature
10 the bill OF lis accompanying re-
port.
The weeks to come will be very
important ones TO Labor. 1t means
continued effort on the part Of all
.AlsL and LLPE aifiliates. We will
keep YOU informed of all develop
mcnts SO that YOU may give intelli-
gent and sound advice to your Rep
..1 C -, ,,
gress.