Evening star., 1951-05-29
The Political Mill

Is Dead Issue at Present
Democrats FoiIed to Mention
Issue at Denver Convention
By Gould Lincoln
The recent Denver meetings of the
Democratic National Committee and of
the Midwest and Western Democratic
Conferences, involving "a States, at
which attacks on the Republican oppo-
sition were loosed with a good deal Of
laundering, failed to make mention at
all OF the Taft-Hartley labor act.
Neither the Secretary Of Labor, Maurice
Tobin, nor the many leaders of organ
lied labor who attended and took part
IN panel discussions of labor's part in
defense mobilization rose and de-
manded the repeal of this act, which
in the campaigns of 1948 and 1850 was
denounced as slave labor" law
This does not mean necessarily, how
ever. that either the Secretary of Labor
or the labor leaders themselves are not
repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act and a
restoration Of the old one-sided Wagner
Labor Relations Act. 1t does mean that
repeal is dead issue for the present.
And it means further that the pressure
on Congress for repeal has slackened to
a considerable degree.
Certainly. the operation of the act has
not been to enslave any Of the union
members or any part of labor. The law
has been on the statute books ever since
1947-when 1t passed overwhelmingly,
and over the veto of President Truman.
The President has, at times, declined to
make use of the provisions of the act.
and at others the act has been used to
help meet situations caused by labor
management strife.
No Attempt for Repeal.
The present Congress, with Demo-
cratic majority in both houses, has
made no attempt whatever since it met
last January to bring about repeal Of
the Taft-Hartley Act, or to amend 1t.
In the Senate, no bill has been intro
duced to repeal the act, and only two
proposals to amend it have been offered.
One of these was introduced by Senator
Magnuson Of Washington, Democrat,
and is designed to get the maritime
unions out from under the closed shop
prohibition of the act. The other Is by
Senator Taft and provides for the
appointment of commission by the
Supreme Court to discuss twice a year
with representatives Of labor and man
agement changes in procedure under the
labor laws.
Three members of the House have
tossed into the hopper bills for the re-
peal of the Taft-Hartley Act. They are
Representatives Perkins of Kentucky,
Lane of Massachusetts and Dollinger Of
New York, all Democrats. Two Re-
publican House members have intro
duced amendments to the labor law.
One was by Representative Keating Of
New York, designed ito equalize the
responsibilities" of labor and manage
ment, and the other by Representative
Vail Of Illinois, which would deny the
benefits of the National Labor Relations
Act to unions whose members include
writers, reporters or any other persons
on newspapers and periodicals who
have to do with the gathering and
presentation Of the news.
The reelection of Senator Taft Of
Ohio. coauthor of the labor law, by a
tremendous majority last November.
and the election of Congress with many
more Republican members than the last
Congress, necessarily put a damper on
any repeater movement by the Truman
Fair Dealers in Congress and labor
leaders outside of Congress.
Fight Could Be Resumed.
One of the labor leaders attending
frankly repeal had not been brought up
there because it was not an immediate
issue-and there seemed no prospect Of
making headway in the present Con-
gress. He made it perfectly clear, how
ever, that if the Fair Dealers can re-
elect President Truman next year and
control the 83d Congress, the fight to
bring about repeal of the Taft-Hartley
Act would be resumed.
The leaders of organized labor let it
be known they were dissatisfied at the
lack Of progress of the Truman admin
istration in carrying out the Fair Deal
program, which includes both the Taft
Hartley repeater and the civil rights
program. Roy Reuther, brother Of
Walter Reuther, head of the UAW, did
not hesitate to say labor expected
great deal more at the hands of the
Democratic controlled Congress, and
warned that the Democrats might
whistle in vain for the labor votes If
the Democrats do not come across.
Just what the politicians in organized
labor can do in the situation is not
so clear. They understand that the
if they come into control
of Congress and the White House, will
certainly not act to repeal the Taft
Hartley Act, although they might agree
to amend it. Also it was well demon
strated in the 1850 elections that the
leaders of organized labor are not able
to deliver the vote of organized labor
with any degree Of precision. Never
theless, the labor leaders are bent upon
engaging in partisan politics.
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