Evening star., 1936-12-19

Orient and its crew Immediately joined
the strikers
The progress IN the maritime crisis
Is in the form of a tentative agree
ment between the ship owners and
unlicensed personnel Further nego-
tiations we're to continue today.
Auto Uitimatum Near.
Filled with the greatest immediate
potentialities Is the situation in the
automobile industry. with a virtual
ultima tum ABOUT to be served on its
largest company. Decision to take
this seemingly uncompromising stand
was made yesterday during confer
ence between John L. Lewis, chairman
of the c. I. O., some of his aides and
officials of the automobile and glass
workers unions.
Calculated. probably. to disturb any
unity within the industry. a distinc-
ton was plainly drawn by union lead
ers between General Motors and the
Chrysler Corp. Union relationships
with the latter were called "sstisfac-
tory" but the reverse is true in the
case Of General Motors"
Close to Gross Roads"
A statistical service specializing IN
automotive reports predicted today
that industry is close to the labor
cross roads. The situation is becom-
ing more precarious each week.
The prime undercurrent is that a
general wave of sympathy is passing
from one plant to another when labor
trouble develops. Such a condition
Is a new one in the auto industry"
Curtailment of production by the
Ford Co. was announced with short
age Of parts being blamed. Similar
pressure was reported by the Pierce
Arrow Co. and the Murray Corps
body factory. Each shortage WAS
traced to labor troubles in supply
plants.
Assembly Plants Tied Up.
Already two strikes in General Mo-
tors assembly plants are being con-
Quoted by the United Automobile
Workers in Atlanta. Ga. and Kansas
City. approximately 2ll.000 workers
are believed to be on the pay rolls Of
General Motors.
Full support Of the C. I. o. and Its
affiliated unions was pledged by Lewis
to the defiance toward the automobile
corporation and to the strike by the
glass workers.
Principal developments Of yesterday
in the steel hearings before the Labor
Board were testimony by Elmer j.
Maloy. steel worker for Is years, who
told how management representatives
in the so-called employe representation
set-up had blocked all efforts at in
dependent employe action. and testi-
mony by Philip Murray, chairman OF
the c. I. o. Organization Committee,
who charged company violation of the
labor relations act through intimida-
ton by company bosses and restrictions
by company-controlled town au-
thorities.
Center on Organization.
In the course of his testimony. Muir
ray declared the strategy of the G. I. o.
organizing campaign was to avoid
strikes in steel but to concentrate on
organization. Then, he said, officials
of the steel companies would be in
vited to negotiate with union repre-
sentatives for wage-and-hour agree
ments.
Closely tied in with the steel situa-
tion is that Of pending contract nego-
tiations in the bituminous coal indus
try with possibility Of strike call for
the soft coal miners If their demands
for 30-hour week or q wage raise are
not met. The United States Steel
Corp. Is the largest single producer Of
soft coal. many of the workmen in its
captive mines being members Of the
United Mine Workers.
ASSEMBLY PLANT QUITS.