Evening star., 1953-02-01
Limited Labor Role
In Government Seen
Nation Expects Eisenhower
To End Union Domination
By Fronk R. Kent


By Fronk R. Kent
Since the Eisenhower Inauguration
there have been so many outbursts Of
one sort or another that little has been
said concerning the administration
labor policy. Only two things are clear
now-(D it has not as yet begun to
develop; (2) nothing is more important.
The facts are worth repeating.
Last November. millions of citizens
voted for Gen. Eisenhower largely
because they were thoroughly sickened
by what they conceived to be the deg
radiation Of President and a party
dominated by the labor bosses mostly
of the CIO. That dominance had
existed since 1886 when the late Mr.
Roosevelt lent the full prestige and
power of the presidency to building UP
the CIO and contracted an intimate
alliance with its leaders. With White
House support, the CIO plunged deeply
into national politics and in a few
years achieved an influence comparable
to that of the old Anti-Saloon League
Of the prohibition era. It bullied and
brow-beat Congress No legislation not
approved by its bosses could be enacted.
It black-liSted members of House and
Senate who exhibited independence,
and through threats and promises ter
rorized Democrats and Republicans
alike.
It was not until the 80th Con-
gress that the first halt was called.
Then combination of Republicans
and Democrats passed the Taft-Hartley
Act over Truman veto. Rallying from
that the CIO, Joined by AFL, the Rail-
road Brotherhoods and the United
Mine Workers, made terrific CAM
paign in 1850 to drive Senator Taft
out Of public life. With unlimited
money, unrestrained propaganda and
complete administration support, IL
utterly failed. This Taft triumph freed
from fear many men in public life
who believed these new bosses of tho
Democratic Party could not be defied
with impunity.
But. Of course, these bosses had
plenty Of alibis and in 1852, again
united and belligerent, went into the
campaign to elect Mr.. Stevenson, who
favored repeal of the Taft-H Hartley Act,
and to defeat Gen. Eisenhower, who
didn't. Again, they were overwhelmed
in all parts of the country. Now, con-
trast their situation with what it had
been for seven years. They no longer
dominate Congress and its committees.
They no longer control the various
wage Stabilization and Cancellation
agencies. They have labor leader as
head of the Labor Department but he
is not going to make labor policy.
President Eisenhower, with the aid Of
Senator Taft, is going to do that and
for the first time since 1886 the Presi-
dent is wholly free from any personal
or political obligation to any labor boss
or union. Literally, he owes them Moth
ing, which is as it should be-.
This does not mean that either the
President or Senator Taft is anti-labor
union. 1t does not mean that the labor
unions will lose any Of their rights or
be treated unjustly. It does mean that
the law will be amended so as to cor
rect certain inequities and leave the
labor bosses no real ground for COM
plant. That, as expressed in the cam.
paign, is the Taft and also the Eisen-
hover idea. But it Is hoped while
preserving the right to strike 1t also
means the union power to economically
Strangle the Nation will be ended. More
than once the public has seen this
power evoked during national crisis
and has been forced to pay a huge and
humiliating price to save itself. It has
seen President Shamefully knuckling
down to unjustif1able labor demands
which added 20 per cent to our defense
costs and forced able men, serving
their country at great sacrifice to re-
sign because self-respect offered no
other alternative.
The Nation as a whole wants this
sort of thing made impossible in the
future. Beyond question, the great
majority OF the American people resent
the idea that the labor unions can
coerce the United States Government
and compel its President to acquiesce
in their demands and conciliate their
leaders. Yet, that is exactly the ex-
perience they have had under the
political alliance which Mr.. Roosevelt
formed, and Mr.. Truman subsequently
continued. The Eisenhower election
offers the first real chance since 1885
to free ourselves from this disgrace
full tie.
Any effort in this direction, of course,
will be greeted by the labor propagan-
distS and their demagogic allies of
the Americans for Democratic Action
with the cry that tabor is being cru
Cited" The full chorus of the pro-
feSSional liberals" will join in. But
there is reason to believe the people
generally will support such an effort
and be surprised if Ike fails to make
it. Not one of the 16 amendments
to the Taft-Hartley Act offered by
Senator Taft last week meets this sit
uation. Most of them are unimpor.
tant. Nearly all will be adopted. "The
controversial Ones" said Senator Taft
dryly, will come later" 1t will be
disappointing if there is not one that
will enable city, State and Federal gov
ernments to protect the health, safety
and dignity of the public. The people
do not want punitive action but they
certainly seem ripe for protective action.
one-eighth this morning, which was