Evening star., 1950-11-08
Labor
CONTINUED From First Page.)

Connecticut. likewise was beaten.
On the credit side. the union
political organizations helped put
over Senator McMahons and Ben
ton in Connecticut, and aided in
the defeat of Senator Donnell, Re-
publican, of Missouri.
Elsewhere. so far as the Senate
is concerned. the unions had little
more success than they did in
Ohio. Senators Myers in Penn
sylvania and Lucas in Illinois both
went down under the Republican
tide.
KroI Puzzled at Results.
Jack Kroll, director of the CLIO
Political Action Committee, found
some consolation in the outcome
of the voting. He said the Re-
publicans might have won control
of Congress except for the work
I'VE and other organizations did
during the campaign"
Mr.. Kroll refused to comment
on Senator Taft's victory, but said
that he was puzzled at the causes
behind Republican gains in both
houses of Congress.
II can't put my finger on 1t" he
said. Apparently there was an
undercurrent-a trend across the
country-that nobody could de-
tect in advance"
Mr.. Kroll predicted several days
ago that the Democrats would pick
up three or four seats in the
Senate and from 20 to 80 in the
House.
did Best Job We Knew How"
As for the CIo-PAc's future
plans, Mr.. Kroll said ''We did the
best job we knew how. can see
no reason to change our organiza-
tional or other plans"
There was no immediate COM
ment on the elections from Joseph
D. Keenan,, director of the AFL's
League for Political Education.
In nearly every State the CIO
and AFL worked for the same
candidates, along with the politi-
cal organizations of the railroad
unions. John L. Lewis United
Mine Workers and the independ-
ent International Association of
Machinists.
The AFL and CIO collected
more than 81 million in political
contributions from their members.
They had set up united labor COM
mittees in 81 States.
Lewis Takes No Part. III
BY and large the big AFL and
CIO political organizations sup
ported Democratic candidates
over the country. But they did
support a few Republican House
candidates and such Republican
Senate liberals as Senators Morse
of Oregon and Tobey of New
Hampshire, both of whom were
reelected.
OF local interest, the unions
generally adopted a hands-off pol
icy toward the hot Maryland con-
tests. However, Mr.. Lewis mine
workers did call for the defeat Of
Senator Tydings and Gov. Lane.
They also opposed Representative
Beall. Republican. who won in
Maryland's 9Th district. The
Maryland coal miners live in Mr..
Beall's district.
Mr.. Lewis himself, unlike in
other campaigns, took virtually
no part in this years elections.
Although he lives in Alexandria.
the miners chief maintains voting
residence in Springfield, ILL.,, and
his Office said he probably voted
there yesterday. Mr.. Lewis nor
mally is a stanch Republican in
national politics. However, he was
big money backer of the late
President Roosevelt in 1886.
Jacobs and Biemiller Beaten.
A prominent member of the
House Labor Committee who tried
unsuccessfully to investigate Mr..
Lewis conduct of last winters big
coal strike was among the Demo-
Gratis who were beaten. He is Rep
resentative Jacobs of Indiana. Mr..
Jacobs lost a battle in the labor
committee to have Mr.. Lewis
subpoenaed to a hearing on the
strike.
A notable loss to labor in the
House was the defeat of Repre-
sentative Biemiller, Democrat. of
Wisconsin. He at one time was
under consideration as director of
the AFL political league. Mr.. Bic
miller was beaten by former Rep
resentative Kersten, whom he had
defeated in 1948. In the 80th
Congress, Mr.. Kersten conducted
an extensive inquiry into Com
munist influences in labor unions,
and he did lot of work for SEN
ator Mccarthy in his bitter at
tack against the State Depart
ment.
Mr.. Biemiller was only one of
the many House candidates sup
ported by labor who went down
to defeat yesterday. The unions
had worked hardest for about $50
House liberal candidates.