Evening star., 1949-03-29
Repeal in Name Only
Seen for Tuft-HurtIev
Much of Present Labor Law Likely
To Remain in the End
r., EouIJ T:ucoI.
By Gould Lincoln

Repeal of the Taft-Hartley labor law, upon
which the Truman administration entered
with many confident expressions when Con-
greSS met last January, has slowed down to .
slow and uncertain walk. True, the adminis-
tration repeal bill has been reported favor
ably in both the Senate and the House. That
action was taken, however, by the hand
picked labor committees in both bodies, and
represents not at all the sentiments of the
majority of the members.
Confident statements are made by both
Senators and Representatives that the ad-
ministration bill cannot pass in the form in
which 1t was reported; that important
amendments will be made on the floor, and
that In the end the repeal of the Taft-Hart-
ley Act will be repeal in name only and that
much OF the Taft-Hartley Act will remain
The repeal bill has been sidetracked in the
Senate by the press of other legislation re-
quirlng early action-like the rent control and
ECA bills. In the House it has been referred
to the Rules Committee for a rule under
which 1t may have consideration, the usual
manner OF bringing legislation to the House
floor. But the makeup of the Rules Commit.
tee finds majority of the members unfavor-
able to the administration bill as it stands.
The Democratic leadership is uncertain that
rule can be obtained. Under the amended
rules OF the House, the chairman of the
Labor Committee can, if the Rules Commit
tee does not act. obtain recognition on the
floor and move that the bill be taken from
the committee and laid before the House.
But that takes time-and must be supported
by majority vote
Not Anxious For New Setback.
The administration leaders. having suf-
fered setback in their effort to advance
the Truman civil rights program, are not
particularly anxious to get another black eye
over the labor bill-especially so quickly. If
they were allowed to go their way, they
would prefer to have the Senate consider
and act on a number of other measures
which are part of the administration pro-
gram and for which they believe they can
command majorities, like the reciprocal
trade agreement bill and the Federal housing
bill
Appropriation bills. already passed by the
House, are accumulating, too. Some of the
Truman Democrats in the Senate also would
like to have the labor bill acted on first by
the House, hoping that it would pass there
without too much mangling, and that the
action OF the House might exert certain
amount OF pressure on the Senate when the
latter body tackles the bill.
All the time, however, the leaders of or
ganized labor and their big lobby in WASH
ington are clamoring for speedy action to
promised prompt repeal by the President
and don't like the delay, nor do they under
stand why they cannot have what they de-
mand 1t is mean situation for the ad-
ministration.
Crux of Program.
Indeed, the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act
is the crux of the Truman program, one of
the Presidents major promises during his
campaign for election-if not the major one.
Even if rule for consideration of the
repeal bill can be pried out of the House
Rules Committee at an early date, there will
be no chance of taking up the measure be.
fore April 4. The House leadership is PLAN
ming Today recess at Easter time, ard
Easter falls on April II. There is doubt.
therefore, that the measure can be consid-
cred in the House until after the proposed
recess.
The Senate has it's hands full with the
ECA bill, and knocking at the door Is the
bill extending the life of the reciprocal trade
agreements act. The ECA bill has already
run into long, debate, and the trade agree
ments measure will require, in all probability,
days of discussion.
Many contracts between labor and man.
agement are due to come up for renewal
around the first of May, which is another
reason the labor leaders are insisting on
action now. They don't want to go into
contract making with the Taft-Hartley law
on the books.
In the end, the so-called repeal of the
t-Hartley Act may turn out to be Just
a modified Taft-Hartley law, by whatever
name it is called.