Evening star., 1953-02-21
The Political Mil:
Bill by Ives Would Let
Congress End Strikes
Threat Of Legislation Seen
As Deterring WoIkouts
BY Gould Lincoln

One Of the knottiest problems with
which Congress will deal in legislation
amending the Taft-Hartley labor law
Is the Nationwide industry Strike-the
strike which could and would harmfully
affect the safety or health Of the Amer
lean people, or both. A strike, for exam
pie, shutting down the railroads, or a
strike closing steel plants in these days
when steel is needed for the national
defense programs. or a strike which
would deny milk to the babies of the
country. or q coal strike. It is in that
kind OF strike-or lockout-the Ameri-
can people could be caught as in a wise.
When such strikes were threatened,
or even started, in the Roosevelt and
Truman administrations, seizure of
plants by the Chief Executive-or threat
Of seizure-was the method sometimes
adopted. Government seizure, when
that government is under the thumb of
either labor or management, means just
one thing-the group which has its grip
on an administration will fare better.
Main Features Of Proposal.
The Taft-Hartley Act sought to deal
with these strikes through injunctions,
lasting 80 days-a cooling of period
and If nobody cooled OF, it was Just too
bad. President Truman used this pro.
vision of the Taft-Hartley Act scarcely
at all, and when he did it was under
protest, because he did not believe in
the Taft-Hartley Act, any more than
organized labor leaders. The latter do
not like injunctions halting strikes, is
sued by courts. They contend that not
only do they prevent free collective bar
gaining, but they give labor a black
eye, prima facie.
Senator Ives. Republican, of New
York, of the Senate Committee on Pub
lie Welfare and Labor, has offered his
own lemedy. He does not claim it Is
unfailing. He does say he believes it
will be etective-and that 1t will result
IN better labor relations His proposal
directs that the President shall call
upon the warning parties to halt
strike which threatens the interests Of
the people, that he appoint an emer-
gency board to investigate and report
within 80 days, and If an agreement is
not reached. the President shall submit
the case to Congress. along with the re-
port Of the emergency board, for such
action as the lawmakers wish to take.
Each such labor dispute shall be han
died separately-with Congress free to
deal with it in distinct manner-iis-
tlnct from any other past emergency.
The New York Senator, an authority
on labor relations and labor legislation
before he ever came to the Senate, con-
tends that labor unions will be reluctant
to strike. knowing in advance they will
have to face up to any kind of law which
Congress may decide Is necessary to
meet the emergency. and knowing the
President must submit the controversy
to Congress for action if strike is per-
sisted In. Congressional action might
easily be drastic, and labor realizes that
when Congress acts, public opinion will
back the law it passes to protect the
public.
a. Square Deal" Promised.
How much support for his proposal
Senator Ives will have is still matter
Of conjecture. He has not, he says, con.
ferred with Chairman Alexander Smith
Of the Labor Committee, nor with other
members. He did get the support of 40
Senators for similar proposal when he
submitted it to the Senate in 1949.
Forty mine Is q majority of the whole
Senate.
Senator Smith of New Jersey, the
committee chairman. has been engaged
in a lot Of spadework. preparatory to
holding hearings on amendments to the
Taft-Hartley Act-the procedure deter
mined upon by the Republican admin.
istration instead Of repeal and the en-
actment Of new law He has conferred
with important leaders of the unions,
and with the new Secretary of Labor,
Martin Durkin, himself a former labor
leader. He has discussed the whole field,
too. with leaders of industry manage
ment. His plan is to find as large field
of agreement as possible and then
tackle those features which are in dis
agreement-Sure to be large, under pres
ent conditions.
President Eisenhower promised both
labor and management a square deal
during his campaign for election. 1t is
expected he will use his persuasive pow
ers, which are great. to win meeting
of minds. But once the legislation has
been perfected and enacted, there will
still remain the operation of the law.
It's success will depend to great degree
upon good will. the personal equation