The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-09-01
Washington
New, Report

WASHINGTON. D. C. The actor
Of AEL-CIO Vice President James
B. Carey in writing what was re
garded BY the recipients as an
arrogant. threatening letter. tC
all Congressmen who voted for thu
Landrum- Griffin Labor Reform bill
probably had the opposite effect
from what its writer intended.
Carey wrote all members Of Con
gress who voted for the Landrum-
Griffin measure, toughest Of All the
bills pending in Congress concern
| ing Ia Dor reforms
I'VE wish to assure you
that We shall do all in our power to
prove 10 tho working men and
women in your District that YOU
have cast Your lot against them
and they should therefore take APP
propriate action at the ballot box
The union leader who i also
president Of the International Union
Of Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers charged the Congress
men with yielding ITO the pres
sures Of Chamber Of Commerce and
the National Association Of Manu-
facturers and said they were
guilty Of "a vindctive assault on
the labor movement
The Carey letter created an up
roar in the National Capitol. Not
only were recipients Of the letter
furious at Carev's audacity blu
some Congressmen and Senators
who were previously opposed to
the tough labor bill began to re-
examine their positions.
A Tougher Bill the Result?
Instead Of frightening Congress.
the letter, i anything STRENGTHENED
amendment in favor Of tougher
bill
IN the words Of the liberal Wash
ingt0n Post and Times Herald which
had been campaigning editoriallv
for a modification Of some Of the
more stringent provisions Of h G
Landrum Griffin bill
James B Carey letter TO the
1874 Republicans and IS Democrats
who voted for the Landrum- Griffin
Bill IN the House was obviously
written in anger and ignorance. His
anger can be understood. but as
President Of the International
Union Of Electrical. Radio and Ma
chine Workers and vice presi-
dent Of the AFL-CIO he should
have been aware Of how Congress
men respond to threats or anything
suggesting threats. His naivete on
the point may serve to stiffen the
labor reform bill that the confer
ence X hammering out and may
swing dozens Of votes to that mea-
sure in the final test
Speculation Is rife and cheap in
Washington as to what motlvated
Nh Carey in penning the angry
letter to Congress
But one Capitol Hill scource. who
halls from a Congressional district
in which 80 per cent Of the voters
owe their income to factories, Of
fered this explanation.
TIE unfortunate Oppressed
MI. Carey was speaking to his
union members. not to Congress
even though the letter was address
ed to Congress. In this day and
time. when the workers are earn,
ing anywhere from s. to $3.50 ar
hour it is extremely difficult to con-
vince them that they're the I'M
fortunate oppressed In order for
people like Mr. Carey to continue
to speak with authority to their
Inion members. they must have
issues to speak about. The letter
was obviously aimed at convincing
the union members that they arc
still the oppressed masses.
An interesting facet of the labor
reforms fight after the bill passet
the House and went to conference
committee was the difference II
predictions among the labor lead
ers and the businessmen as to wha
the outcome of the conference Woult
be
AFL-CIO Chief George Mean,
fatty predicted that the conferee'
would send strong bill to Con
arcss and that the Senate woult
accept it.
But the President Of the Ameri
can Retail Frederation had just thu
opposite view.
Said Retail Federation Presiden
Rowland Jones. Jr., in letter t
liberation members.
Based on our analysis. if vot
for or against the Landrum-G riffi1
Bill was taken on the floor OF tn
Senate today. the result is maxi
mum of AZ Senators for the bill an
50 Senators against the bill. 1
short, this analysis indicates tina
four more Senator's must be per
suaded to accept the Landrum-Gri1
, fin Bill should the Senate-Hous
conferees become deadlocked."