Evening star., 1949-02-05
Pepper Disputes
Tafton Labor Bill
Amid F|areups
Ohioun Accuses Nicely
Of 'BIockeuording'
Witness at Hearing
By J. A. O'Leor

Senator Pepper, Democrat, OF
Florida today told Senator Taft,
Republican, of Ohio that his
prediction that Congress is going
to rewrite instead of repeal the
Taft Hartley Act is inaccurate
and erroneous"
AS the Senate Labor Committee
continued its stormy hearings on the
Administration new labor bill, Sem
ator Pepper added his voice to DEM
ocrats who earlier had challenged
the Taft forecast that two-thirds Of
the present law would be kept.
This mornings session also was
enlivened by sharp exchanges be-
tween Senators over the testimony
of Ludwig Teller, New York attor-
ney and consultant on labor-man-
agement relations, who favored
keeping most of the Taft-Hartley
Law.
At one point, Senator Taft broke
in to protest that Senator Nicely,
Democrat. of West Virginia was
"blackguarding the witness
Bill Called Backward Step"
Before today's session began
Chairman Thomas of Utah was the
first to disagree with published re-
ports that Senator Taft had pre-
dicted that two-thirds of the Taft
Hartley Law would survive. Senator
Thomas said "It will be very much
less than that, and all We do keep
will be made over"
Mr. Teller began his testimony by
calling the Administration bill "a
backward step" He favored keep
ing most of the Taft-Hartley law,
but opposed any further use of the
injunction as a cooling off" weapon
in national emergency strikes.
A flareup between the witness and
Senator Pepper started when the
New York attorney said:
This may be the last chance the
Democratic Party will have to adopt
a balanced labor policy"
He called it a chance to withdraw
labor policy from 10 years of bitter
ness flowing from the Wagner act.
Pepper Thanks Witness.
Senator Pepper, bit sarcastically,
thanked the witness "for the lee
ture.' Mr.. Teller replied he is q
Democrat but does not agree with
the party platform which Senator
Pepper had advised him to read.
Senator Pepper then turned to the
Taft forecasts of yesterday and said
they were made in the face of an
S-to-5 vote already taken in the
committee in favor of repeating
Taft Hartley. This referred to a
vote on general declaration of
policy taken before the hearings
began.
Senator Pepper said that perhaps
Senator Taft, Republican policy
leader, ''is forgetting the fact that
he no longer is running the Senate"
This VISA a reference to Demo-
cratic majorities replacing Republic
cans in control of the 81st Congress.
Senator Pepper said that "Repub-
licans who follow the leadership Of
the Senator from Ohio will condemn
themselves" to additional political
defeats after five successive losses
in presidential races.
Taft Clarifies Statement.
When Senator Pepper said SEN
ator Taft had forecast at a news
conference yesterday that two-thirds
of the Taft-Hartley law provisions
would be retained, Senator Taft said
Il didn't say that" He added that
he said the final result would amount
| to an amendment of the Taft-Hart-
ley Act.
| At the news conference, Senator
Taft said the law which he helped
write in 1947 has about so separate
provisions. He predicted the new
| Legislation under consideration will
pick up 40 or so provisions of Taft
Hartley
When Mr.. Teller testified that he
had represented independent unions,
Senator Nicely asked if they were
not company unions. Mr.. Teller
denied that, but did not name the
unions. He explained he had been
restained by other lawyers and that
their clients might not have known
it.
Then you are a lawyers lawyer"
said Senator Nicely.
II have been called that" the
witness answered.
That's something like being O
gentleman's gentleman" said Sena-
tor Nicely.
Il have had no experience along
that line and wouldn't know" the
witness replied.
Perhaps, as the woman said when
she loosened her corset, That let's
(See LABOR, Page A-3O
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