Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-21
Labor and Congress

LuDOf 0iIu SOUyIG91
Congratulations on your
May is editorial, 1.-THE Great
er Crime 1t is shocking to
think that "a timid Con-
gress can be expected to bow
to their wishes" (the wishes
of the labor bosses) in spite
of the evidence Of criminal
racketeering in unions which
control vital segments of this
Nations transportation sys-
tenn" 1t is especially shock
ing when evidence of that
racketeering was disclosed by
one Of the Congress own
committees under the able
direction of Senator McClel-
Ian of Arkansas. In view of
the situation, one cannot help
wondering whether Congress
represents the public or
whether it is owned by the
labor bosses.
It is perhaps understand
able that members of Con-
gress who owe their election
to the funds poured into
their campaigns by organized
labor should do the bidding
Of labor bosses. But surely
they do not represent the
majority of the members. Or
do they?
1t is also perhaps under
standable that those members
with presidential aspirations
should be unwilling to offend
organized labor leaders even
though those leaders speak for
only a fraction of all work.
ing men and women and not
necessarily for all of the or
ganized workers, as the Taft
victory in the industrial CEN
tiers Of Ohio proved, and as
the more recent victory of
Senator Goldwater demon
strated.
/ 1t is to be expected that the
New Deal, Fair Deal, Ameri-
cans for Descriptive Action
groups in Congress will COM
ply with the wishes Of the la
Dor bosses. for they are the
ones who gave the labor
bosses their power in order
to insure political power for
themselves. Genuine Demo-
Gratis and genuine Republic
cans, however, are interested
in the welfare of the country.
The proposals of Senator Nc
Clellan give them an oppor-
tunity to act in the interest
OF the country by supporting
his bills.
E. Mclean johnson.
Il i -
The other day I ran into
a liberal acquaintance who,
two short years ago, spent
most Of his waking hours
denouncing Joe Mccarthy.
He was still in fine vocal
fettle, but this time he had
a new devil--no less a person
than labor leader Jimmy
Hoffa.
Would it be going too far
astray to take such a portent
as prophetic of woe for a
labor leadership that has be-
come more arrogant than the
Vanderbilts Of old?
True, there are no visible
signs that labor monopoly is
in for tough shedding. The
Mcclellan committee hear
ings move toward nothing
and the AFL-CIO hierarchy
stands poised for a grand
onslaught on the Taft
Hartley Act.
Walter Reuther, quite in
different to the fact that he
caused the disease in the first
place, asks for Federal med
icine for a depressed Mich
igan which cannot compete
with right-to-work Indiana
in the matter of new factory
locations and expansions. In
deed. bourbonism among the
bourbons was positively puri-
tanicsl compared to the bour-
bonism that is running rife
among the current crop OF
high labor functionaries.
But pride goeth before a
fall, and. remembering this,
/ take hope from the spec
tacle of my liberal acquain-
lance who has effected a
transferral Of his animosity
from the late Joe Mccarthy
to a labor skate. Lesser peb-
bles have caused mighty
ava1anches. Who knows
maybe the immovable has
started to move.
A Department of Justice
spokesman has suggested the
Government may prosecute
the bigger unions under the
Sherman Antitrust Act. Or
that l won't bet. Not until
hear two liberal acquaint-
ances denouncing Jim m J
Hoffa as they once denounced
"Ole Debbil joe"
w. A. Power, JF.
4%&
Are the labor unions run.