The Potters Herald

Labor Press Wins Battle To Get In Press Galleries

Washington (LPA)—Labor Press Association, after a long and bitter battle, has finally and officially been admitted to membership in the Congressional Press Galleries.

Acting under the new rule approved by the Senate Rules Committee and Speaker Rayburn in the final moments of Congress, the Standing Committee of Correspondents at a week-end session voted unanimously to admit Alvaine Hamilton and Nathan Robertson, of LPA, to membership.

But at the same time the Committee unexpectedly turned down the application of International Press, the State Department's news service, for membership. This was a surprise, as the Committee had been expected to approve the application to give International Press equal status with Tass, the Soviet News Service, which already has access to the galleries.

Chairman William F. Arbogast explained to LPA, however, that the application of Tass, for renewed membership for the session beginning in January had not yet been approved—so there was no discrimination yet against the State Department's news service.

The notice under the applications of the State Department reporters as posted on the Gallery bulletin board said: "The above applications were rejected unanimously under a motion; That the applications did not come within the rules governing the Press Galleries."

LPA submitted its application for membership last May 31. The Standing Committee, after months of delay, turned the application down by a 3-2 vote under the old rule. LPA quickly appealed to the committee to reconsider, contending that a gross injustice had been done. The Committee promptly recommended a new rule—the first in 70 years revising the basic gallery admission rule—that would allow LPA to get in.

Another long delay followed, with a minority of the gallery trying to block action. But finally, on the last day of Congress, the Rules Committee and the Speaker approved the new rule, only, however, after Chairman William S. White, of the New York Times, had resigned as chairman in protest over the tactics of the minority. Under the rule, LPA's application had to be posted 10 days, then was approved promptly.

Membership in the press galleries will enable LPA to give labor and liberal papers faster and more accurate coverage of Congressional news than ever before. It marks a new era in the history of labor journalism.