Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-09
Monitors Rap
Teamster Firing
AS 'ReprisaI'
BY the Associated Press

Court appointed monitors
charge that "unconscionable
reprisal' has been taken by
Teamster Union leaders against
a Memphis lTenn0 Teamster
official who co-operated with
the monitors.
Involved in the charges, filed
with a Federal court yesterday,
are James r. Hoffa, union
president, and member of
the monitors board Itself
Daniel B. Maher, who repre-
sents the Transfers on the
three-member panel.
Martin F. O'Donoghue, chief
monitor, suggested to the court
that it might start contempt
proceedings against those found
responsible for the firing of
Victor Motto from his job as
business agent of Memphis
Local 667.
Mr.. Maher, the court was
told, furnished Mr.. Hoffa with
a copy of a letter which got
Mr.. Motto into trouble with his
Teamster superiors. Mr.. MOTTO
was vice president of the local
as well as business agent.
Ruling Asked
Mr.. O'Donoghue asked the
court also to consider a pos
sible ruling that all conflden-
tial correspondence and pre-
liminary investigative work
hereafter be handled solely by
Mr.. ODonoghue and his staff
thus barring Mr.. Maher from
knowledge of cases in their
early stages.
A consent order handed
down by District Judge F.
Dickinson Let's permitted Mr..
Hoffa to function as Teamster
president under the surveillance
of the monitors. Under this
order the monitors are allowed
to seek court enforcement of
their recommendations.
Mr.. O'Donognue told the
court its order was being
deliberately frustrated. He
cited a provision of the consent
order forbidding any reprisals
against any plaintiffs. wit
.nesses or other persons con-
nected with the Teamster case.
In August. the court was
told, Lynn o. Dixon, a
Memphis Teamster, wrote to
Mr.. O'Donoghue reporting that
an auditing firm had just re-
fused Ito okay the record
books of Local $751;"
Letter Confidential
The letter went on to say
that Mr.. MOTTO had told Mr..
Dixon he was going to try to
slip a copy out of the Office
and mail it to you next week."
At Mr.. Dixon's request, a
monitor staff member assured
him the letter would be kept
confidential. However, Mr..
ODonoghue said, on August Is
copies were given to Mr.. Maher
and the third monitor Law
renee T. Smith. Mr.. ODono-
ghue said this has been GUS
tomary procedure.
Mr.. Maher forwarded a copy
of the Dixon letter to Mr..
Hoffa. the document went on,
and informed Mr.. O'Donoghue
that he regularly forwarded to
Mr.. Hoffa copies of all cor
respondence reaching him.
Mr.. O'Donoghue's report to
the court gave this account:
On September l Mr.. Motto was
discharged as business agent by
Stuart Hall, local president. At
a September IL meeting of the
local, Mr.. Hall read to members
of his executive board the
Dixon letter. Mr.. Hall an
nounced that Mr.. MOTTO was fired
because Mr.. Hall could not
trust him."
Instructions Sought
Mr.. O'Donoghue's account
went on:
Upon an inquiry from Mr..
Dixon, President Hall stated
that it was no use for Dixon to
write complaints to the Board
of Monitors, as a copy of every
thing Dixon wrote to the Board
Of Monitors ended on Halls
desk anyway.
The monitor chief asked the
court for instruction on what
action to take, and offered sew
eral possible measures, includ-
ing issuance of an order to show
cause why contempt proceed
ings should not be brought
against all persons who visited
a reprisal against Victor Noto."
Other suggestions to the court
included taking of dispositions
from all those who had a part
in transmitting the letter to Mr..
Hall; ordering Mr.. Hoffa to
have Mr.. MOTTO reinstated as
business agent; requiring the
international unions General
Executive Board to file and hear
charges against all those i'm
dictated in the affair