Under section 124 of the union constitution, no member of a local union is eligible to vote in a local election unless he has been a member in the local union when the vote is being taken for 60 days previous to the election. All of the men listed below were declared eligible to vote in the December 11, 1955, election of officers of local 798.

1 Mr. Giles cleared out of local 776, Lima, Ohio, on Sept. 30, 1955, and into local 798. On Nov. 30, 1955, he cleared out of local 798 into local 706.

Mr. DUFFY. In examining these 40 history sheets we found an unusual situation. We found that all 40 of these individuals had checked out of local 706 in El Dorado on November 30, 1955, and into local 798. On December 31, 1955, they checked out of 798 and practically all of them went back into 706. There was a mass exodus into local 798.

The CHAIRMAN. What was the total?

Mr. DUFFY. Forty. I think there were a few more, but we know of exactly 40.

The CHAIRMAN. In other words, you found 40, but you think there were a few others that you possibly didn't find a record of?

Mr. DUFFY. That is correct, Senator. I think there may have been a few more. As I say, all 40 of these transferred into local 798 11

62255-61- -9

days before the election. The election was held in Baton Rouge, La., on December 11, 1955.

The CHAIRMAN. They transferred in on the 30th of November? Mr. DUFFY. On the 30th of November.

The CHAIRMAN. And that was 11 days before the election was held? Mr. DUFFY. That is correct. That is what the history sheets in the United Association here in Washington show.

The CHAIRMAN. Those are the record of the international?
Mr. DUFFY. That is right.

The CHAIRMAN. Then they were all out of that local by December 31?

Mr. DUFFY. That is correct, Senator; that is what the records show. The CHAIRMAN. In other words, it was just a technique to get some votes in that election for the candidates that they wanted elected? Mr. DUFFY. I might explain why they had an election in Baton Rouge when the officers were actually from Tulsa.

Local 798 has pipeline jurisdiction over the whole country, except Arkansas. So it was necessary, for them to have all the eligible voters vote, to have certain points throughout the country so they could vote, and Baton Rouge was selected as one of those points. We also found, Senator, that there were only 50 to 60 votes cast in Baton Rouge. The CHAIRMAN. How many?

Mr. DUFFY. Fifty to sixty votes. That is what Mr. Craddock informed me, the business manager of local 798. We know that 40 to 50 of them came from 706. Baton Rouge was allocated as a center to vote as early as February 1955. So there must have been some conspiracy going on way back that early on this thing.

Senator, we interviewed a lot of these people besides the witnesses we have had here. We have had Mr. Giles and Mr. Longing testify on this election. I interviewed and took depositions from a number of the other people who voted in that election. Rather than reading the depositions, I could summarize five or six of them.

The CHAIRMAN. The depositions may be made exhibit No. 24 for reference, these affidavits that you took. They will all be made exhibits for reference.

(The documents referred to were marked "Exhibit No. 24" for reference and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.)

The CHAIRMAN. You may summarize for the record the highlights of the depositions or affidavits, just identifying the affiant and then stating what he said.

Mr. DUFFY. The first one is from the Reverend A. N. Evans, a Baptist minister in the city of El Dorado. His affidavit states that in the latter part of 1955 he was working on a job in Crossett, Ark., under the jurisdiction of local 706. He was approached by shop steward George Wolfe and told that Earl Griffin wanted him to clear his union book into local 798 in order to make him eligible to vote in the December 1955 election.

Evans consented to do this. All details were handled by local 706. Evans did not leave the jurisdiction of 706. A few days before he was to make the trip to Baton Rouge to vote in the election, Curtis Porter called and instructed him on the election.

Evans advised Porter that he was unable to make the trip because he had to preach the next day. Porter instructed him to send his

union book to El Dorado, which he did. Someone used Evans' book to vote in the election, but he did not use it himself.

In support of that, I have the union book of Mr. Evans showing that he did vote in that election, but he did not make the trip. Obviously someone else used his book to vote in that election.

The CHAIRMAN. That book may be made exhibit No. 25.

(The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 25" for reference and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.)

The CHAIRMAN. According to Mr. Evans' affidavit, he did not vote, but he did surrender his book to someone else?

Mr. DUFFY. That is correct.

The CHAIRMAN. He didn't know who used it?

Mr. DUFFY. He did not know who used it.

The CHAIRMAN. But his book is stamped as having voted in that election?

Mr. DUFFY. Correct, Senator.

The next affidavit I have is from J. T. Mitchell. His affidavit states that in the year 1955 Earl Griffin cleared some of the members of local 706 into local 798 so they could be eligible to vote in the December 1955 election.

Mitchell was not one of the members of local 706 who had his book cleared into local 798. Ted Nordmyer, of local 706, approached Mitchell on the street in December 1955 and asked him if he would make the trip to Baton Rouge. Nordmyer said that Marvin Varnado had sick folks and was unable to make the trip. Nordmyer gave Mitchell Varnado's book, and Mitchell made the trip and voted in the election.

He was furnished a list of the candidates he was asked to vote for, and he voted for these men. As I say, Senator, Mr. Mitchell, who actually voted in the election, did not clear into the union. He used someone else's book, Mr. Varnado's, who could not go.

Senator ERVIN. He voted on someone else's credentials?
Mr. DUFFY. That is right.

Senator ERVIN. He wasn't eligible to vote?

Mr. DUFFY. That is right.

The next affidavit is from C. L. Roberts, working out of the jurisdiction of 706. He was also approached by George Wolfe and he cleared his book into 798. Those details were also handled by the officials of local 706. He worked out of the jurisdiction of local 706 and did not leave the area.

According to Roberts, the only reason he cleared his book into 798 was to vote in the election. Curtis Porter notified him of the time the bus was to leave El Dorado for Baton Rouge in December 1955. When the bus was ready to leave, Mr. Roberts suddenly realized he had forgotten his book and went home to get it. When he returned, the bus had left, so he was not able to vote.

Incidentally, Mr. Roberts' book shows he was cleared in and eligible to vote, but he was unable to make the trip.

The next affidavit is from Mr. J. G. Baker. In 1955 Baker was employed on the Crossett job and worked out of local 706 when he was approached also by George Wolfe, who stated to him that Earl Griffin wanted him to clear his book in 798 so he could vote in the December 1955 elections.

Baker agreed, but it was handled by someone else in the office of 706, the details of that election. He never personally cleared his book into local 798. He continued paying his dues into local 798 to Ermon Griffin. Baker made the trip to Baton Rouge and voted for James Craddock.

The next one we have is from Mr. Omer Johnson.

Senator, I won't say too much more about that. It is very similar to the others. He also voted in the election. He made the trip to Baton Rouge and voted for the list of candidates that was furnished him.

Mr. George W. Pace also voted in the election; also, he was on the Crossett job. His book was cleared in and he voted for Craddock as he was requested to do.

I interviewed a number of other individuals that I did not take depositions from, and the story was the same from them. I would say I interviewed maybe 18.

The CHAIRMAN. That seems to establish the story on the election and how it was handled.

Mr. DUFFY. Senator, I have the book of Mr. Roberts which shows he did not vote in that election, which I testified to here this morning. I have the union book

The CHAIRMAN. Did anybody vote for Roberts?

Mr. DUFFY. No. He did not go, Senator. He was the one that missed the bus and kept his book with him.

The CHAIRMAN. I don't think it is important to make it a part of this record.

Mr. DUFFY. We have Mr. Pace's book that shows he did vote in the election, Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. Who?

Mr. DUFFY. Mr. Pace, whom I testified to.

The CHAIRMAN. His book may be made exhibit No. 26.

(The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 26" for reference and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.)

Mr. DUFFY. We have Mr. Ralph Kelly's showing he also voted in that election.

The CHAIRMAN. That will be made exhibit No. 27.

(The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 27" for reference and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.)

The CHAIRMAN. Did you interview Mr. James R. Craddock, the man for whom these members voted when they transferred out of local 706 into local 798?

Mr. DUFFY. I did secure an affidavit from him, Senator.
The CHAIRMAN. You have that affidavit?

Mr. DUFFY. I have a photostatic copy of it in front of me, Senator. The CHAIRMAN. That affidavit may be made exhibit No. 28, and excerpts may be printed in the record at this point. Are there any excerpts from it you wish to have printed in the record?

Well, I believe I will just print the whole affidavit in the record, since this is one of the parties involved. I think his affidavit should be printed in full. Instead of making it an exhibit, print it in full in the record at this point.

(The affidavit referred to is as follows:)

STATE OF OKLAHOMA,

County of Tulsa, s8:

AFFIDAVIT

I, James Richard Craddock, who resides at 8833 East 37th Place, Tulsa, Okla., freely and voluntarily make the following statement to LaVern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the Senate Permanent Investigating Committee of the U.S. Senate. No threat, force, or duress has been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate committee.

I was a business agent and secretary for local 798 from its inception in 1949 until 1952 when I became business manager and secretary. Prior to the election in 1955, it was determined that the duties would be split up and that there would be elected a business manager and a financial secretary and the financial secretary would take over the duties that I had theretofore assumed as secretary. Members of local 198 do pipeline work on jobs throughout the United States and 798 has policing jurisdiction over 36 States. Although 798 is a local union, because of the fact that its membership is scattered all over the United States and its members are working on jobs which are generally outside of the Tulsa area, the union is in the nature of and partakes of an international union. Our membership varies from month to month but stays somewhere around 3,200 members. As indicated, there is a constant traffic in and out of the local and this is done through the use of clearance cards.

Arkansas is one of the few States where 798 has no jurisdiction. Local 706 has pipeline jurisdiction over all the State of Arkansas. From the time that I began working with the union here, I was acquainted with the 706 organization and would have dealings with them from time to time, particularly on river-crossing matters. Prior to 1955 I dealt with Earl Griffin of 706 and later with J. C. Swail who was the business manager, and then still later with Ermon Griffin, brother of Earl Griffin. As business manager and as secretary of local 798 (prior to 1955), I supervised and was charged with the responsibility of keeping the cash sheets and forwarding the per capita tax to Washington.

Prior to the 1955 union election, details concerning the election were worked out between my office and Washington. I did not ask or request the services of Earl Griffin for the purpose of supervising the election nor did such a request originate out of my office. I did request through a telegram his presence for the closing of the election on December 22 and 23 but he was unable to be here on that occasion, and I also made a formal request for his presence here on January 5, 1956, for the purpose of installation of new officers and working out some pipeline problems, but again he was unable to come.

It was determined that a ballot box should be prepared and set up and the ballot box would be sent into specific areas where the membership was concentrated. An election committee was formed for the purpose of carrying out the election. The three members of the election committee were paid regular daily wages for an 8hour day at regular journeyman rates, plus all expenses. One of the committee members furnished his own car and the three members traveled together. There were seven candidates on the slate, five of whom were seeking the office of business agent, one was seeking the office of financial secretary, and I was running for business manager. The seven of us got together quite sometime prior to the election and made up a fund to be used for campaigning, entertaining, etc. As I recall, each of us put $200 in the fund initially and then later made some smaller contributions to the fund.

The first balloting was done in Cheyenne, Wyo. The committee traveled to Cheyenne and set up and arranged the balloting. From Cheyenne they went to Dallas, Tex., and held a portion of the election there. From Dallas they went to Beaumont, Tex. When they took the ballot box to Beaumont and set up the election there, I took a plane and flew to Beaumont and was present there during the election. I had heard that my opponent or members of the other slate of candidates were going to be present and I wanted to be sure that no one stole the election. I remained at Beaumont until after the election and then went with one of the business agents on my slate by automobile to Baton Rouge. We didn't do any entertaining at all in Beaumont. I could have perhaps had a bottle in my room and had a number of the men in for the purpose of having a drink but that was the extent of the entertaining.

Now sometime prior to the election and, if my memory serves me correctly, sometime during the month of August or September of 1955, I was in a conver