Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 23, DeMotte, Jasper County, 6 May 1949 — T-H Changes Set Aside By House Vote [ARTICLE]

T-H Changes Set Aside By House Vote

House Is Now Without A Labor Measure Following "Overnight" Vote; Bill Recommitted Washington, May 5. The stunning House defeat of administration efforts to repeal the Taft-Hartley labor law raised the possibility today that President Truman might carry his case directly to the people. Mr. Truman’s assertion last week that a vote on this issue would be regarded by him as a test of party loyalty backfired with a 217 to 203 House vote yesterday approving the Repub-lican-backed Wood labor bill. For the president, this roll call vote represented a major political defeat on his campaign promise to wipe off the books the TaftHartley act passed by the Republican 89th Congress. For the 71 Democrats who voted with 146 Republicans for theWood bill it represented a break with the President which may easily be reflected in opposition to other measures on his program. The coalition thus triumphed in the biggest political test yet in the 81st Congress. This raised the immediate question on Capitol Hill whether the president might return to his February frame of mind when he spoke openly of touring the country if .Congress failed to act on his proposals. Commenting on this speculation, Senator Pepper (D-Fla.) said there would be “time enough next year” for the president to tour the country if other votes go against his program. Another important part of that program—the administration plan for a new farm aid system—is not making much headway in Congress. Mr. Truman discussed farm matters with a group of agricultural editors yesterday. They said afterward that he discussed his farm speeches of last year’s campaign and quoted him as commenting: ' .... . . - “The farmers apparently realized which side of their bread was buttered. I’m sure they will continue to realize that.” Mr. Truman clearly indicated at his news conference last week that Democrats who don’t support the party platform can’t expect to share in party patronage. That marked the first open break in the Be-King-To-Congress campaign he had carried on since he returned from a vacation March 19. House leaders privately blamed the president’s patronage stand for the loss of some votes yesterday.