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Show 'i I News ak By PaulMallon Jgf Released by Western Newspaper Union. UNEMPLOYED BILL LACKS WASHINGTON. The left wing political po-litical aggressors (the Pepper-Tru-man-Hlllman-CIO crowd) tried to find Mr. Roosevelt for leadership and support when their Murray-Kil-gore bill and its $35-a-week federal unemployment pension for war workers was sinking to defeat in the senate. He was nowhere to be located on that subject at that time. He was traveling, or he was busy, or telephone tele-phone connections were busy. They never got him. At least so they now say in private. Their story leaves the burden for promoting that unpopular notion of a greater relief for high salaried war workers than soldiers will get, upon the drooped shoulders of Senator Truman, the vice presidential candidate. candi-date. Vice presidential candidates and vice presidents exist chiefly to take blame (see career of Vice President Pres-ident Wallace). It is difficult to believe a fresh vice presidential candidate would take such responsibility of fostering such legislation without with-out orders from the top, but Truman Tru-man is being quoted in the usual off-the-record way that always leaks out, to the effect that he alone was responsible. Whatever Mr. Roosevelt now says or whatever is done, the Murray-Kil-gore bill, accordingly, is doomed to fate worse than death also in the house. The ways and means chairman, Mr. Doughton, will not take it, and yet he has been in no hurry about the George substitute bill which would make the existing social security se-curity set-up take care of postwar unemployment through state action (maximum payment about $18 a week, average $13 and $14). Less and less publicity is attending attend-ing this major issue, probably because be-cause it will split the administration administra-tion right down the middle, if it is pressed. BYRNES MAY RETIRE War Economic Administrator Jimmy Jim-my Byrnes may not have told the Doughton committee in executive session that he was quitting his right-hand right-hand job to the President in anger, as has been reported by one newspaper. news-paper. Other papers did not pick up that possibly apocryphal story because be-cause they could not fully confirm it. His hearers seem agreed Byrnes at least said he would not be the postwar demobilizer although he now has that title by presidential award, and he sharply opposed the Murray-Kilgore Murray-Kilgore bill. Also, a South Carolina newsman, news-man, friendly to Byrnes, earlier wrote for their native state papers pa-pers that he would quit all his righthanding for the White House January 1, and retire to private law practice, an amazing amaz-ing suggestion for a man who relinquished a life term on the Supreme bench to be of war service to the President. Byrnes received personal treatment treat-ment at the Chicago convention which has not yet been publicly appreciated. ap-preciated. He went to Chicago with more votes than anyone else had for the vice presidential nomination, including Wallace. Mayor Ed Kelly was privately for him. Boss Hague was willing, but Flynn was doubtful. In the midst of promotion work for him (and he would have been nominated, in my opinion), suddenly sud-denly withdrew. Observers blamed CIO's Hillman and his related Negro group, whose policy was that no Southerner could be chosen. It is hardly conceivable to me that Byrnes would have retired re-tired without instructions from the only man who is his boss. Thus is the way of the new aggressors in. politics, the CIO-Hillman CIO-Hillman leadership, meeting inner in-ner defeat within the party of its choice. Indeed, valid question now Is arising whether Hillman can control the CIO, or whether his overzealous - overfinanced leadership may demoralize his own union. At Salt Lake City, CIO locals 65 Bauer and 872 Toele broke from the Hillman leadership. Their members resigned from CIO-PAC, announcing: announc-ing: "We feel that regardless of belonging be-longing to any committee, church, union or other organization, no one has the right to demand that we vote the straight Democratic ticket. This action frees us to work and vote throughout the state for the candidates we feel will best represent repre-sent us.' A CIO worker in East Moline, 111., has complained I have committed commit-ted an injustice to CIO members by assuming Hillman-was their leader, lead-er, saying: "I had no more part in having Hillman and his committee appointed appoint-ed or paying them than you have in appointing Supreme court judges, and don't like them any better." Strong-arm John Lewis could not control his mine workers' vote four years ago. Wise old labor sage Sam Gompers once said: "No one can control the labor vote." |