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The legislative findings providing the basis for the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959 brought to light a great variety of improper activities by unions and union officers. To persons familiar with the his tory of American trade-unionism, there was little, if anything, new in these revelations. From time to time, from the begin ning of unionism, there have been some labor leaders who have robbed and plundered and who have regarded the union as their private domain. The major underlying factor appears to be that as a union grows in power and membership, control of its policies passes from the man at the bench to paid union officials. Although this power transfer is not to be regarded as something contrived by power-hungry officers, it does lend itself to mal practice by unscrupulous union officials. The national unions themselves, and particularly the American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations, have tried to impose re form by constitutional amendment and by drawing up codes of ethical practices. However, because of the structure of Ameri can unionism, enforcement of these codes is difficult. The article suggests that the LMRDA, which makes fair practices by unions the law of the land and which incorporates many of the features of the unions' own reform measures, can aid in this reform.—Ed.

The legislative findings providing the basis for the LaborManag Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959 brought to light a great variety of improper activities by unions & union officers. To persons familiar with the history of Amer tradeunionism, there was little, if anything, new in these revelations. From time to time, from the beginnnng of unionism, there have been some labor leaders who have robbed & plundered & who have regarded the union as their private domain. The major underlying factor appears to be that as a union grows in power & membership, control of its policies passes from the man at the bench to paid union officials. Though this power transfer is not to be regarded as something contrived by power-hungry officers, it does lend itself to malpractice by unscrupulous union officials. The nat'l unions themselves, & esp the Amer Federation of Labor-Congress of Industr Org's, have tried to impose reform by constitutional amendment & by drawing up codes of ethical practices. However, because of the structure of Amer-unionism, enforcement of these codes is difficult. It is suggested that the LMRDA, which makes fair practices by unions the law of the land & which incorporates many of the features of the unions' own reform measures, can aid in this reform. HA.

American unions have been undergoing major internal shifts of power and authority resulting from their size, their new problems, and their functions. It is proving steadily more difficult to preserve the realities of democratic govern ment as distinct from the forms; the developments within unions resemble those of other types of organization, notably the large corporation. The real problem seems to be not how to make unions more democratic but how to devise methods of accommodating the concentration of power in the hands of officers to the protection of the interests of the members.

US unions have been undergoing major internal shifts of power & authority resulting from their size, their new problems, & their functions. It is proving steadily more difficult to preserve the realities of democratic gov as distinct from the forms; the developments within unions resemble those of other types of org, notably the large Corp. The real probblem is not how to make unions more democratic, but how to devise methods of accommodating the concentration of power in the hands of officers to the protection of the interests of the members. AA.