Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-10

etc employee not Immediately
absorbed by the authority.
One other amendment, by
Senator Payne, Republican Of
Maine, would extend the hiring
rights to any corporate officer
who has been with the company
more than 10 years. The bill is
intended to eliminate the Wolf
son management, which took
control of CTC in 1949.
The Allott labor amendment
was supported by Minority Lead
er Knowland and Senator Case.
Republican of South Dakota.
former chairman of the House
District Committee.
Other Agencies Cited
With Senator Allott. they
argued that other Government
corporations are subject to the
strike ban and that exempting
the transit authority would set
a precedent for exempting the
Others.
Also, they contended. the ban
was designed to protect the Gov
eminent from a repetition OF
last summers 52-day transit
strike. 1t was during that walk
out, they pointed out, that Con-
gresS revoked the etc franchise
on the grounds that transit was
vital to the interests of the Fed
eral Government.
Senator Case commended that
"the very premise of the bill is
invalidated if you accept the
arguments against the amend
ment. There is no reason
for public ownership at this time
unless we put it on a basis OF
the public welfare-the Nations
welfare. since this is the Ma
Itional Capital"
The amendment was opposed
by Senators Morse, Democrat Of
Oregon; Case, Republican of
New Jersey. and Mcnamara.
Democrat of Michigan, all Of
whom were on the subcommittee
which rewrote the transit bill.
Morse Fears Precedent
Senator Morse argued the
strike ban would be a Every
unfortunate precedent" to write
into Federal legislation. Also. he
commended, the transit authority
would be a proprietary func-
Ition" of the Government rather
than police function"-a
commercial activity on the bor-
derline of the area in which
striking should be banned and
in which it should not.
THE next STEP he warned,
lis always to try to pass legis-
lation that denies the right to
strike to employees of a private
operation.
And. Senator Morse declared,
if etc had been willing to arbi-
trate last summer there would
: have been no strike.
During the strike. the company
Iargued it could not afford a wage
increase because the District
Public Utilities Commission
would not let it charge higher
fares. The union commended it
was not concerned with the
company'S ability to pay.
Would Decide Later
Senator Morse insisted the
international unions 63-year
support of arbitration was pro-
lection enough to the Govern
ment. since the bill would allow
the authority to arbitrate with
the union. Lets try the bill in
its present FORM" he said, land
III the problem arises. let's deal
with it then"
The opponents of the amend
ment were also supported by
Senator Lehman. Democrat OF
New ork, who insisted the pub
licly owned transit system there
has not suffered a strike and
that I'VE haven't needed any"
ban on striking.
| Senator Allott argued that
failure to write the strike ban
into the law might imperil the
Capital if a walkout occurred
when Congress was out of town.
And, seeking to justify the pro-
lposal further, he insisted the
Governments interest is deeply
involved. In my opinion. he
said, deficits are going to be
frequent, and probably large"
! Senator Mcnamara insisted
, the provision would be punt
tive action against those who are
: least guilty" recalling earlier
charges that the strike had been
Unanswered by the Wolfson
management.