Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-02
Mcclellan Hits
Theft Policies
In Union Posts
BY the Associated Press


more responsible the position
he gets >
The acid words were a sum-
mary Chairman Mcclellan,
Democrat Of Arkansas, gave his
Senate Rackets Committee OF
practices In the Transfers
union exposed by the COM
mittee,
The hearings are in recess
until Monday. Teamster Pres
ident James r. Hoffa Is to re-
turn to the witness stand next
week.
Cohen on Stand
Ray Cohen, a ruling power Of
Philadelphia TeamSter Local
l07, was asked yesterday
whether he has returned to
his local any of the $3.50. 900 the
committee commended last year
he had misused. He replied
with a string of Fifth Amend
ment pleas.
Mr.. oChen also refused to
say whether Mr.. Hoffa has
taken any steps to GUST him.
Committee Counsel Robert
F, Kennedy told Senator Nc
Clellan that Mr.. Hoffa not
only hasn't moved to fire Mr..
Cohen, but that Mr.. Cohen &C
tually has been promoted by
election on a Hoffa backed
slate to become one of three in
ternational trustees serving as
watchdogS over union funds.
senator Mcclellan then
snapped his bigger the thief"
remark and invited Mr.. Cohen
to challenge it. Mr.. Cohen
didn't.
No Cleanup Seen
I Senator Mcclellan later con-
tended the evidence is clear
that Mr.. Hoffa doesn't intend
to rid his union of corruption,
and won't unless Congress
passes new laws to compel a
cleanup
The Senator's statement fol-
lowed testimony that Bernard
BlauStein. an official of New
York Transfers Local sos, had
run a narcotics peddling bust
ness right from the unions Of
fees. Senator Mcclellan said at
least one of Mr.. Blaustein'S SUI
periorS knew about the ped
ding. Mr.. Blaustein has just
completed serving part of a
three-year sentence for the
crime.
Witnesses and Counsel Ken
nedy charged that many other
officials of Local sos are bleed
ing its welfare fund, taking a
Decent bite out of every dol
lar paid into it. They said the
local is under virtual dictatorial
rule by Abe Gordon, the funds
administrator.
Mr.. Gordon said it might in
criminate him to answer queS-
tons about the fund.
Redress Rules
Arthur SCHNEIDER, a New York
State insurance examiner, said
rank and file members are al
lowed just three months in
which to uncover and complain
about any irregularities in the
funds handling. They then lose
all right of redress under the
locals rules.
A row exploded when New
York industrialist Harold Roth
insisted he saw nothing i'm
proper about S243, 900 of loans
he and his associates had either
made or arranged to be made
to Milton Holt, secretary-treas-
urer of Local sos. The local
has collective bargaining con-
tracts with some of Mr.. Roth $
companies. Mr.. Kennedy con-
tended favors such as the loans
are forbidden by law.
Mr.. Roth is president of the
U. S. Hoffman Machinery Co.
and of Continental Industries,
Inc. He flared at Mr.. Kennedy
for asking if it was not true
that as recently as Tuesday
Mr.. Roth had told a committee
investigator of plans to invoke
the Fifth Amendment on some
questions about the loans.
Il refuse to answer that"
Mr., Roth replied angrily. He
said its against the law-it's
against the Constitution" to
ask such a question. He later
denied making such a state
ment, but wound up saying
that he might have done so in
a fit Of anger.
Mr.. Holt did invoke the Fifth
Amendment in refusing to say
whether he got the leans. )