"Crime is Crime ..."

Anti-labor Congressmen got busy in the House last week, hustled out of the conservative Judiciary Committee a bill to make labor unions subject to the 1934 Federal Anti-Racketeering Act. Brawny, drawling Sam Hobbs, union-hating Alabama Democrat, drew the bill, stalking-horse for other labor measures to come.

Year ago, the Supreme Court had refused to convict members of the Teamsters Union who stopped out-of-state trucks entering New York City and. compelled the truckers to hire a New York union driver or pay his fee. Sam Hobbs had promptly drawn a bill broadening the legal definitions of "robbery" and "extortion." Labor unions were not mentioned by name but the effect was to outlaw truck-stopping by the teamsters and any similar practices by other unions. Labor leaders protested the bill would do more--outlaw legitimate activities by unions. The bill died with the 77th Congress,

Last week Sam Hobbs again persuaded the Judiciary Committee to report out his bill, this time without hearings; labor demanded it be sent back to committee for "better advised action." Said Hobbs: "Crime is crime, no matter who commits it; robbery is robbery and extortion is extortion, whether the perpetrator has a union card in his pocket or not."

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