Show MARQUIS CHILDS Moderate Labor Bill dill Poses Veto Problem for Truman I W WAS A S HINGTON Pre President Truman has comO come from irom his vigil at his mothers mother's bedside to face what is perhaps the most critical critical cal d decision of his political car career ca ca- r reer er To veto or not to veto Is ia the question before the White House The action ho he takes on the tax and labor bills blUs will wUl have far- far reaching consequences The loud echo of it is bound to be heard in next years year's campaign A veto of at th the tho Republican tax bill ia is taken for granted The president has hM consistently opposed opposed opposed op op- posed any tax reduction this year arguing that such a 8 reduction reduction reduce tion would contribute to tion He has also repeatedly urged tho the need to begin scaling down the vast national debt as quickly y as u possible Present indications are for aveto a 8 aveto veto of ot the labor bill as well That is tho weight of ot the advice being given the president by his principal advisers This is ISI so 50 even though it is considered fairly certain that the omnibus labor bill will be passed over the presidential veto Must lust Switch Snitch Votes De Democratic m ocr a 0 leaders have studied the situation that would exist in t tho to e senate senata after a veto To sustain the presidents president's actions actions ac ac- a switch of a minimum of ot seven votes vote would be required Tho The prospect ct is that not more than three or four of ot the Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic senators originally voting in favor of ot the measure can be persuaded to change their position position position tion and d uphold the president The most cogent argument for a veto runs rUM something like this While the public has been led to believe that the senate bill bUI is moderate as compared to the measure pass passed cd by the tho house actually this is a deception The senate bill bUl to bo ho finally I approved by both houses In most of its ita details will seriously alter the position of labor The ban on the closed shop if nothing nothing- else will greatly weaken labors labor's bargaining barg bargaining bar bar- g gaining position This will bo be a 8 dangerous thing to todo do do above all alt because of ot the effect on n the whole economy That is to say if labor is weakened then labor will get a smaller sharo share of the pile to be divided between capital capital capital capi capi- tal and wage earners Obviously therefore we shall h have ve a re reduction reduction reduction re- re in the purchasing power of ot tho the great mass of the consuming consuming consuming con con- suming public Volume Essential A volume of mass purchasing power is s essential if It Mr and Mrs Average Citizen aro are to be beable beable beable able to absorb the goods coming out of Americas America's greatly exp expanded expand expand- F ed cd productive machine So SoA A second argument in favor favo of veto voto relates to the brief dur dura J lion tion of th tho test teat accorded tJ ti Uj Wagner act The war put an e eto to bargaining under the act a 1 after it had been in operation operatiC little more than six aix y years arl price fixing an and wage con c control I free collective bargaining w W impossible Such a brief test teat v Vi Vin wu n not t sufficient to dete whether fundamental eh ch chara chang are aro necessary in our labor law lw Those who ma mane make co these Ir ar argul ments meets are not blind to th tl tM t stupidities the arrogance the corruption even of some som labor leaders and some segments of ot organized labor Jabor But they argue that these symptoms of immaturity imma should not be used asa as as' as a justification for the kind of ot a. a ac ae action tl tion n that can harm not lab Jabot alone but all aU of ot us fj At the same time tim the Pre pry dents dent's advisers are acutely aware of at the difficult politic situation that has been created If It tho the wild-eyed wild reactionary in the house had prevailed therl then would be no problem The Hart Hatt Hartley ley Icy labor bill bUl was so crude a aso an anso and so unworkable that a veto would have been sustained both in CO congress con con- gress grass and by public opinion J Moderation l Won J 1 But moderation in the thelen sen len senate senate ate atc won the day doy Senator Irvin M. M Ives of New York worker persistently and wit a broad background of ot know knowl knowledge edge for the kind of labor bil he believed d would b bo be passes over a veto a aSo So much emphasis has has' be bee put on the contrast between u thi moderation of the senate am anc the extremism of the hou hous l that the public has ha the slon Mon the senate measure woul make comparatively com p 8 r a vel y Utu change in the pattern of col bargaining This th proponents of a veto Insist insist insist-I a not true tj t At the same time however they know that the of ot moderation is a politics a hurdle hurdle and and a big one How ti get over it is the problem to tob b solved In writing writing- a veto m mss mci 1 sage if if and d when the tho presides finally reaches that Copyright 1947 by United Feature Syndicate |