Evening star., 1949-02-03
Morse Warns
.Una|tered Labor
Bill Can Win
Senators WroneIe for
z Hours Over CIork's
Injunction Opinion
By J. A. O'leov

not stand "a ghost of a chance
without some changes was sound
ed today by Senator Morse o1
Oregon. one of the most liberia.
Republicans on labor issues.
His forecast came after the Sen.
ate Labor Committee wrangled fol
two more hours this morning ovel
Attorney General Clark's statement
that President Truman has exceed.
ingly great" inherent powers he
could use in court to block nationa
emergency strikes, entirely aside
from the administrations proposed
new voluntary approach to labor
controls.
Senator Morse said "a lot of com.
promises must be made" and added
Labor is not going to write this
ticket. 1t is going to be written BY
the counting of noses in the Senate
The votes are not there today te
pass this bill"
TumultOus Session.
Other high lights of today's
tumultuous session we're:
l. Secretary of Labor Tobin put
himself squarely on record against
strikes by Government employees.
2. The Secretary made it clear
he wants Congress to deal with
Communist infiltration in all seq
ments of society. rather than tc
single out union officials Ly keeping
the Communist oath clause OF
the Taft-Hartley law.
Across the Capitol, meantime, 6
resolution to repeal the Tatt-Hart-
ley law and reinstate the old Wag.
ner Labor Relations Act without
any changes was approved, 7 to 5
by House Labor Subcommittee.
Representative Kelley, Democrat
OF Pennsylvania, subcommittee
chairman, said it will be considered
by the full committee next week
The subcommittee vote was or
straight party lines.
The subcommittee said:
The most feasible approach ir
repeating the Taft-Hartley law is
to incorporate an outright repeal
bill with a provision restoring the
Wagner Act in one bill, and then q
subsequent measure using the G.
Wagner Act as the basic law for
amendments"
Two-Package Plan.
This IS the so-called "two-nack.
age plan that labor leaders have
demanded. The administrators
measure is the "one- package" ap-
proach. 1t would repeal the Taft
Hartley Act and make changes ir
the old Wagner Act in one piece
of legislation.
After another long debate over
the letter Attorney General Clark
sent to the Senate Committee las,
night, Senator Taft, Republican, Of
Ohio, charged that an effort is be-
ing made in the administration bill
to please the people by saying
there is an injunction and please
labor by saying there is no injunc-
ton" to block strikes that may af-
feet public health and safety.
The Ohio Senator was referring
to the fact that the White House
bill relies only on the force OF
public opinion to enforce proposed
30-day cooling off period before
national emergency strikes could
start. 1t seeks to replace the Taft
Hartly provision which allows the
Government to use the injunction
power to enforce an 80-day cooling
off period.
Even Taft Hartley does not pre-
vent a Nation wide strike if the
80 days fails to bring a settlement
Calls for Compromises.
Senator Morse, who served on the
War Labor Board before coming to
the Senate, and who opposed much
of the Taft-H Hartley Act in 1947
made his present position plain
when he told Secretary Tobin today:
Il am one of those who believe
this bill hasn't a ghost of chance
of getting through the Senate with
out considerable compromises.
The Oregonian said he expects
"some brickbats from labor for
trying to work out" amendments
that would get rid of bad features
of the Taft Hartley Act and also
protect the public
Senator Morse had just finished
trying to find out whether Mr..
Tobin thought the President could
or should seek injunctions to delay
national strikes. Mr.. Tobin avoided
direct answer, but at one point
declared:
mo President of the United
States ever is going to permit the
economy of the United States to be
brought to its knees in a great ma
tional emergency"
Senator Morse said that did not
answer his question but he would
interpret it as meaning Mr.. Tobin
was not opposed to the President
seeking injunctions in emergency
cases.
That does not necessarily mean