Evening star., 1949-03-20
Vital Strike Problem
Unsettled, Congress
MAY Take Truman Bill
BY the Associated Press

May lake Truman Bill
BY the Associated Press
Congress has been wrestling
with labor problems for weeks now
and still hasn't turned up any sure
formula for avoiding strikes that
menace the national welfare.
It may wind up by accepting the
plan in the Administrations labor
bill, which is now moving into the
showdown stage in both Senate
and House.
That plan is based on law that
has worked fairly we'll in prevent
ing major strikes on the railroads.
But nobody has claimed it offers
any absolute guarantee against
Gripping strikes in other industries
affecting the Nations health and
safety.
Aside from the labor bill itself,
Attorney General Clark contends
that the President has inherent
powers of Office with which he can
deal with national emergency
strikes. A number of members of
Congress disagree with that.
Substitutes Offered.
Several substitute proposals
have been offered in hearings
before the Senate and House Labor
Committees. These offer no guar
antees, either.
The administration program it
self Is substitute for provisions
of the Taft-Hartley law.
Under that law, enacted in 1947
over Mr.. Trumans veto, the Presi-
dent appoints a board of inquiry
when he finds a labor dispute i'm
perils the national welfare. The
board makes a report on the facts
it finds but no recommendations
for settlement of the CONTROVERSY
After this report is filed, the
Government can get an injunc-
ton from a Federal court order
ing the industry to keep going on
the same terms as before the dis
pute, for as long as 80 days. The
idea is that the disagreement can
be adjusted in this 80-day cool
ing-of period.
Provisions Used 7 Times.
However, at the end of 80 days
the injunction ends. whether or
not there is a settlement. After
that there still can be strike.
The national emergency pro-
visions of the Taft-Hartley law
have been used in seven cases. In
four of these, injunctions have
been used.
The Administration would re-
place this machinery with an ar
rangement which would eliminate
the injunction procedure.
The President would issue a
proclamation when he found a
labor dispute in a vital industry
threatens the national welfare.
He would call on both sides to
keep working and operating.
An emergency board would be
named to make report and rec
concentrations. 1t would report
within IS days unless there was
an agreement on a longer time.
In the following five days, the dis
putting parties would be supposed
to put into effect the conditions Of
any understanding that is reached
or returned to their previous re-
lationship.
Thus there is q 80 instead of
S0-day cooling off period and no
provision for injunctions. But
there still could be q strike.
Day of Hearings Left.
AFL President william Green
testified to a House Labor sub
committee last week that the AFL
would comply with the proposed
new cooling-off arrangement.
The subcommittee has one more
day Of hearings left. Nine CIO
vice presidents are scheduled to
testify tomorrow. Then the SUBJ
committee starts seeing whether it
will make any changes in the ad-
ministration labor bill.
This bill would repeal the whole
Taft Hartley Act and reinstate
the old Wagner labor law that ex-
listed from 1885 to 1947, with
some additions. The Senate Lab
or Committee already has ap-
proved the administration labor
bill by a straight party vote.
There is possibility-but only
q possibility-that both branches
may vote on the labor issue early
next month. In the Senate es-
pecially, the Republicans are ex-
pected to make a determined
effort to amend the administra-
ton bill on the floor. This may
consume much time.
In the Senate and House hear
tngs, the question of dealing with
national emergency disputes got
a lot of attention.
When John L. Lewis called his
miners out of the pits for two
weeks there was talk that this
might strengthen the hand of
those who want to keep the Taft
Hartley law and its injunction
provisions.
On both sides of the Capitol,
there were suggestions for COM
pulsory arbitration or settlement
by an outside person or board.
Neither management nor labor
favors such procedure.
Bar Chief Says U. n. Courts
Might Supersede State Law