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Show flo Comment , By James W. Douthat WASHINGTON A House Labor subcommittee has found after investigation that the Taft-Hartley Act the so-called "slave labor law" has not prevented officers offi-cers of a big international union from depriving local unions un-ions and members of a voice in collective bargaining. " In this case, the congressional Investigators, in effect, transfer the "slave labor" label I . to the union officers. The report was made following follow-ing an investigation of musicians' musi-cians' performance trust funds collected by the American Fedor-ation Fedor-ation of Musicians under compulsion. com-pulsion. Among other things, the Investigators Inves-tigators reported that the biggest big-gest local union had no voice in collective bargaining that it had no effective control over its own affairs that fees which might go for increased wages were diverted that the union practices crcaie unemployment. The report may spur demands for a "Bill of Rights" for local unions and Individual members If and when big unions begin a pressure campaign in Congress to destroy the Taft-Hartley Act The congressional Investigators Investigat-ors recalled that the original 1947 House bill (which became the Taft-Hartley Act) contained the very specific provision tc protect the rights of union mem. bers. These included: compulsory, compul-sory, periodic election of all union un-ion officers; voting procedures for establishing dues and special assessments; a secret ballot under un-der government auspices before a strike. These provisions, the investigators investi-gators found, were omitted in the final Taft-Hartley bill on the ground that it would inject federal fed-eral government into the Internal Intern-al affairs of labor unions. An effective argument also was made by spokesmen for big labor unions who said that union un-ion practices would be reformed But the report of the House Labor subcommltee now says these dictatorial practices continue con-tinue In tha AIM Klcr Interna. tional union investigated. And, since the subcommittee says public hearings will be conducted conduct-ed when Congress convenes, the question of protection for local unions and Individual members by law becomes a live subject once again. ANn-TRUST LEGISLATION Rising concert Is being felt in Washington over a headlonp rush for drastic anti-merger and general anti-trust legislation In the new Congress. The fear is voiced that the legislation whatever the good intention of sponsors may he rushed through in such form as to seriously impede the growth of business. Best chance to avoid harmful measures appears to lie in vi?-orous vi?-orous representations by business busi-ness to members of Congress. Taking notice of the antl-mer-ger legislative proposals, Presi- dent Thomas Roy Jones of Day-strom, Day-strom, Inc., digressed during automation au-tomation testimony before the congressional economics commit, tee to sound a warning. He did not defend all mergers said a few have been economically unsound un-sound and conceived in a spirit of selfish greed but he added: "Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water." He stressed the importance of middle-sized business in the oco-nomy oco-nomy bared factors which cause small businesses to merge Into middle-sized firms emphasized em-phasized the need for technological technolo-gical research, and added: "Congress should give serious thought, particularly in this field In Instrumentation and automation, au-tomation, to encourage those small businesses which, in order to achieve strength and corporate corpor-ate security, wish to combine. Congress should not build up roadblocks of bureaucratic red tape and delays and the huge experse of reports and legal fees." Meanwhile, Senator Spark-man Spark-man of Alabama, chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, Com-mittee, added his voice to those clamoring for premerger and other anti-trust legislation. He served notice that he will re-introduce premerger notlflca-tion notlflca-tion legislation in the new congress; con-gress; pointed out tht the Senate Sen-ate Judiciary Committee favorably favor-ably reported such a bill Just before adjournment too late to be passed, and reminded that both major political parties have endosed pre-merger rotlfication. |
