Evening star., 1950-04-07
Labor Is Likely 10 Win
Greatest Political
Victory in Years
Congress Members Fail
To Understand Issues on
Bill Held in Committee
By David Laurence

The labor unions are about to
win their greatest political victory
in several years-unless members
of Congress wake up in time really
to understand the momentous is
sues at stake.
Having determined that any bill
amending the Taft-Hartley Act
will not be permitted to come out
of committee in either the House
or Senate for a vote at this ses-
sion, the union politicians now
hope to gain a propaganda victory
by roundabout process.
The plan is to bring about q
change in the powers and func-
tions of the general counsel of
TIE National Labor Relations
Board through a reorganization
order issued by the President that
goes into effect automatically un-
less vetoed by either house within
so days.
The supporters of the plan have
stated that the Hoover Commits
sion recommended the change.
Former President Hoover has pub
licly denied this. The truth is
that the Hoover Commission did
not make any recommendation
One of its task forces refused to
rule on this specific change at all.
but did make some general OBJ
servations about the functions of
prosecuting officers in the govern
mental establishment.
Thin Reed of Support.
Tying themselves to this thin
reed Of alleged support from a
Hoover Commission unit, the pro-
ponents of the effort to strip the
general counsel of the NLRB of
his most important duties have
been hoping that both houses of
Congress will not perceive the
meaning of the scheme and will
not take any action to interfere
with the Presidents reorganiza- =
ton proposal.
A bigger issue. Of course, than
the proper relationship between
the general counsel and the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board is
involved. Admittedly the Taft
Hartley Act as written is not clear
in defining the functions of the
general counsel. but this is some
thing that ought to be cured by
legislation directly amending the
present labor-management re-
lations law and not by subterfuge
Senator Taft has introduced q
bill to clarity the powers of the
board and it's general counsel
Will unions who control a ma
iority Of the two committees OF
Congress let it come to a vote? :?
Probably not.
The labor-union strategists are
in the position of being willing tc
let one single measure designed
to sabotage main provision OF
the present law 60 into operation
but they are unwilling to allow
other parts of the law even to be
voted on by either house.
Could Wreck Reorganization.
The maneuver is one that could
very well wreck the whole re-
organization movement under the
Hoover Commission, which thus
far has made substantial progress.
II the Administration endeavors
to adopt substantive legislation
under the guise of mere change
in functions allegedly to achieve
efficiency, public confidence in
further reorganization proposals
Will be lost and the country will be
inclined to look with suspicion
on all OF them. Partisanship will
rise correspondingly.
The union politicians want to
make an issue of the Hart
ley Act as whole in the con-
greSslonal elections this autumn,
and they have not yet given a
satisfactory explanation to the
public Of why they have failed to
allow a vote to be taken on amend
ments that improve the Taft
Hartley law.
II. therefore, neither house We
toes the latest reorganization
order and it goes into effect, the
unions will claim that this Con-
gress has repudiated the Taft
Hartley Act and that the way is
open to a complete restoration OF
the one-sided Wagner Labor Re-
lations law.
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