The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-08-14
No Comment
BY JAMES w. DOUTHAT

Washington. D. @ August l3 49,
The type Of labor legislation that
gets through Congress probably will
have more direct effect on Ameri-
can business for years to come than
any other bill now under considera-
ton
A weak bill was passed by the
Senate last April. In the Ho E
principal efforts to obtain house APP
proval Of worthwhile legislation are
centering around a measure intro
duced by Representative Landrum
fD-Gal and Griffin fRMich.D It
was offered as a substitute for the
bill reported BY the House Labor
Committee which was even weaker
than the measure passed by the
Senate.
The Landum- Griffin bill was sup
ported by President Eisenhower. by
Chairman Barden DIN Gu of the
House Labor Committee, by Rep.
Halleck Of Indiana. the Republican
Leader Of the House, by Senator
Mcclellan DARK. VI chairman Of
the Senate Rackcts Committee. and
by coalition of Southern Demo-
Gratis and conservative Republi-
cans
While this measure was regarded
by many Of its supporters as de
ficient in number Of respects, 1t
was generally agreed that it was
the best that had a chance Of house
approval.
Industry strongly urged support
Of the Landrum- Griffin bill in the
hope that a worthwhile measure
even though inadequate would get
through Congress and help curb the
evils exposed By the Senate Rackets
Committee.
President Eisenhower called the
Landrum- Griffin bill a tremendous
improvement. He said it "particu-
larly makes progress toward these
three areas I though SO important
--blackmail picketing secondary
boycotts. and the no-mans area
Committee Chairman Barden re-
ferred to the Committee bill as
"hogwash Apparently this view
was held by a number Of others,
since only five Of the 30 committee
members had a kind word to say
for it in the report made to the
House
Other Committee NJ c m b S
shared Mr.. Barden's view that
bill should be reported. despite its
"inadequacies 80 that the Mem
bers Of Congress will have the op-
portunity to decide whether to pass
labor bill at this session.
Then, in his statement. he added:
1.-The Committee bill, in my iudg-
ment. fails in many serious respects
to provide the remedies which are
so urgently needed to correct ma
jor abuses which have been dis
closed BY the Mcclellan Committee
investigation during the past three
years
THE American people have been
shocked and justifiably alarmed by
these disclosures. and look to this
Congress for effective labor reform
legislation.
The American people have every
right to expect and to demand that
the Members Of this Congress face
up to their responsibility to enact
effective legislation to meet the need
which has been shown to exist by
such overwhelming proof
Both Rep Halleck and Senator
Mcclellan made clear that the House
choice was between the Landrum-
Griffin bill and the virtually worth
less Committee measure. Mr.. Hal
leck gave notice that he would
vote against the Committee bill if
it were choice between it and no
legislation.
Senator Mcclellan said the mini
mum legislation required must con-
tain provisions on secondary boy
colts. blackmail and organizational
picketing. hot cargo. and the no
man STAND in labor disputes. These
are all covered in the Landrum-
Griffin substitute.
Rackets Committee Reports
A vast amount of ammunition for
advocates of effective labor reform
legislation is contained in the latest
report Of the Mcclellan Committee
on its long and spectacular inveSti-
cation
The report deals with the Com
mittee's 1858 activities which served
to expose variety of labor union
evils which make remedial legislar