The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1959-08-20
M GlaAhnqton
with Rep. John Henderson
The Labor Bill

labor-management reform bill
will be considered by the House
of Representatives after months
of preparation and behind-the-
scenes maneuvering. The legis-
lativc history and background of
the labor bill presents a very
interesting pattern. While there
is no typical pattern for any
particular type of bill, there are
certain common points. In the
very beginning, there is reason
or an established need for legis-
latior. In the case Of the reform
legislation, this was developed
over period of several years in.
the labor hearings of the Nc
Clellan Committee in the SEN
ate hearings which spanked
spectacular headlines and tens of
thousands of printed pages of
testimony. Last year, both the
House and the Senate wrestled
with the problem of a law to
deal with the scandals uncovered
by the Committee but, by the
end of the session, no legislation
had been enacted.
Second Year of Effort
Opponents of the 1858 legisla-
ton included those who thought
the proposal which was written
and presented at that time was
too severe as well as those who
rejected it because they felt it
was not strong enough. In 1859,
after additional hearings, the
Senate enacted the Kennedy
Erwin bill, as amended. Although
it received substantial support in
the Senate, in the final analysis,
it, again, pleased very few
people. Labor felt it to be vindic-
tive and the general public
gained the impression that it did
very little to meet some of the
established labor eXceSses. There
after, the House Committee on
Education and Labor considered
the problem for a great many
weeks and reported out what is
known as the Elliott bill. This
bill in many respects followed
the general pattern that appeared
in the Kennedy-Ervin bill. It,,
too, was attacked Immediately
by labor as punitive and man
agement and the general public
as too weak. Thus, the same
opposing factions appeared to be
combining again to defeat the
enactment of legislation.
Within several days after the
introduction of the Elliott bill,
additional legislation was in
troduced. This proposal, known
as the Landrum-Griffin bill, is
generally patterned after the
Senate bill, except that it adds
new provisions and is consider
ably stronger in many Of its
details. 1t is the most stringent
bill to appear thus far although
it is weaker in many respects
than the legislation proposed by
| the President earlier this year.
Still later, several members OF
Congress introduced a fourth
measure which has become
known as the Shelley bill. This
| legislation is designed to meet
the objections of organized labor
which has come out against the
| other three bills.
AS the debate on all of these
measures begins, the assortment
of proposals has gained adherents
throughout the country which
are flooding the Congress with
letters and kilograms in support
of their choices among the exist
:ng bills. Not for many years has
the House Post Office been sc
swamped with mail as the people
express themselves vigorously
After several days of the kino
of rough and tumble debate
which seems clearly indicated by
the strong feelings on this
issue, there is a good possibility
that so many amendments anC
changes will be offered that none
of the present bills will retain
their current form for long. Each
of these amendments will be
voted upon and the bill in the
House will take shape slowly