Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-12
|Teamsters See
|OufsideC Chance
To Beat Hoffa
~ The Associated Press

I SANN AA6oA ACadCAo ouy tAACJ
Iare beginning to see an outside
chance to beat James r.
Hoifa's drive to succeed Dave
Beck as president of the
Transfers Union.
The main factors prompting
the rising hopes of Hoffa's foes
are the failure Of the powerful
western Conference Of Team
sters to indorse Hoffa and a
strong possibility the Senate
Rackets Committee may soon
resume hearings on his activ-
Titles.
George Meany. AFL-C1O
president. meanwhile told a
union audience here the parent
federation win deal sternly
with corrupt unions. He said
he win have no compuncti0n
about shrinking the size Of the
million-member AFL-CIO
by ousting such unions If that's
What it takes for q thorough
cleanup.
Robert F. Kennedy, chief
counsel, for the Senate Rackets
Committee headed by Senator
McClellan. Democrat Of Ar
kansas. has personally been
delving deeper into Hoffa's af-
fairs with the help Of a dozen
investigators in Detroit. Hoffa's
home base.
Calls Hunt Worthwhile )
Mr.. Kennedy said in Detroit
last night the hunt has been
worthwhile" and has led to
fresh evidence. He said Hoffa
could be recalled for new hear
ings Elm the normal course OF
our investigations" ahead Of the
election showdown at the
Transfers convention three
weeks hence. Senator Nc
Clellan is returning to WASH
ington next week.
Prior word from the commit
tee was that it would have no
further public hearings on
Hoffa until after the Transfers
convention. which starts Sep
TENDER 80 at Miami Beach.
The earlier Rackets Commit
tee hearings on Hoha appar-
emily shook his strong grip on
the union, but to an undeter-
mined extent. He was charged,
among other things, with ac-
cepting loans from employers
and consorting with racketeers.
Hoffa said his dealings with
New York hoodlum Johnny Dio
were in the normal course Of
union business.
Hoffa, now Midwest leader
Of the Teamtsers, made a pitch
yesterday for convention sup
port to the Policy Committee Of
the Western Conference Of
Transfers in Seattle. About
486 Of the 1924 delegates to
the convention will come from
Western Conference units.
3 Rivals Put In Bids A
Three rival candidates nor
the presidency also put in bids
for backing. However, the
West Coast policy group de-
cided to endorse nobody, but
to let individual locals make
their own choices. This gives
Hoifa's opponents a chance to
establish q beachhead Of dele
gate strength.
But there Is no question that
Hoffa IS BY FAR the leading
present contender for Beck's
job. The latter is retiring after
becoming enmeshed in Senate
Committee disclosures about
misuse Of Union funds.
Mr.. Meany spoke at the
dedication Of the new head
quarters Of the AFL-CIO Anal
gamated Association Of Street.
Electric Railway and Motor
Coach Employees here. He
didn't mention the Teamsters
but spoke Of q serious crisis
in organized labor in the COM
ing months. His remarks in
dicated the Transfers face
custer from the AFL-CIO un-i
les sthe l.5-million-member
union launches an immediate
and effective cleanup.
Thomas j. Haggerty. secre-
tary-treasurer Of q Chicago
Transfers local. is one Of the
contenders against Hoffa. Mr..
Haggerty's supporters contend
more than half the convention
delegates are supporting him