Evening star., 1950-05-11
Truman Gains in WesI
May Be Offset by Big
East, Midwest Losses
Democratic Porty Bound
To Suffer os Result Of
Many Gripping Strikes
By David Laurence


President Truman had better
hurry back home. An absentee
leadership is a leadership in a
vacuum. What votes Mr.. Tru-
man may be gaining for his Con-
gressmen in the West may be
offset by large losses in the Mid
west and East. For the Demo-
cratic Party is bound to suffer
in the congressional elections this
autumn because, as the party in
power. it has been in a position
to discourage strikes but has
failed to do so.
The wave OF crippling strikes
which has been inflicting almost
as much damage on innocent by
ISLANDERS as on the disputants
themselves is due primarily to
the ingrained belief of labor
union leaders today that Presi-
dent Truman doesn't really care
II they exercise a monopoly
power.
The constant reiteration by the
President and by his cabinet
that the Taft-Hartley Act must
be repealed. together with sabo-
tage Of the act itself by govern
mental agencies through indif-
ferent enforcement, has bred
spirit Of responsibility among
labor unions. They feel they
have virtually bought the admin
istration with political support
and with campaign contributions
and that the Democratic Party
must do the bidding of the union
chiefs. There is heard even the
blackmail threat of third po-
litical party to be formed out of
labor-union membership If the
administration doesn't hew to
the line.
Rail Strike Called Example.
The ,railrorad strike is an ex-
ample Of the breakdown of the
Railway Labor Act, which up to
now has been hailed as a splendid
piece Of labor management leg
islation. But with the encourage
ment that comes from a labor
nion-dominated administration,
1t is natural that the findings of
all boards and tribunals recon-
mending settlements will be dis
regarded by the unions. The
issue in the rail strike-whethe
o third man should be required
on the diesel engines-has been
passed on and the proposal re-
Jected again and again by boards
appointed under the procedures
10 the Railway Labor Act.
Then why do the firemen insist
on a strike? The answer is that
economic power as exercised by
unions today knows no limit.
There Is a prevalent feeling of
self-asSurance in going to extremes
because of belief that the Tru-
man administration will not dare
to ask Congress to stop such
tactics. 1t is significant that the
presidents Of the Pennsylvania,
the New York Central and the
Santa Fe Railroads have all told
a congressional committee this
week that they no longer have
faith in the Railway Labor Act
and that they favor the bill in
troduced by Senator Donnell of
Missouri. Republican. which pro-
poses compulsory arbitration of
disputes on railroads.
This means that collective bar
gaining has broken down among
the railroads. just as it has broken
down in the steel. coal, and motor
car industries. respectively. The
Nation has suffered incalculable
economic losses.
Strikes Gain Nothing.
Thus, when the Chrysler en-
ployeS went back to work this
week, most of them could look
forward to a few dollars more
month in pensions 10 or 20 years
from now. but they could not
possibly make up in current wages
this year or next year what they
lost during the strike. Apart from
the $4,000 Chrysler workers, whose
union really gained nothing by
the strike that couldn't have been
obtained by collective bargaining,
there were tens of thousands Of
small merchants and their en-
ployes affected by the strike in
the Detroit area who will never
make up their financial losses.
The public interest has GER
tainly been damaged. The Auto
Workers Union was bound by the
Hartley Act to bargain in
good faith. Did it do so?
Power is not without response
bility," said Chief Justice Vinson
GI1lS WcCh, SpCdhIIIS III OCAld4 Va
the Supreme Court of the United
States in an opinion outlining
congressional powers to enact
legislation restricting labor-union
acts. He added: "It is plain
that when Congress clothes the
bargaining representative with
powers comparable to those pos
sesSed by a legislative body both
to create and restrict the rights
of those whom it represents the
public interest in the good-faith
exercise of that power is very
great"
1t is plain to see that legislation
regulating and restricting labor
union power to damage the public
interest awaits only the election
of a Congress courageous enough
to stamp out monopoly. The
Supreme Court may be expected
to declare such legislation con-
stitutional. Clearly the labor
union chiefs are overreachine
themselves and making anti
Democratic-Party votes every day
particularly among the families