The Washington times., 1937-06-22
TAFT HOPEFUL
OF SETTLING
STEEL STRIKE


toward settlement Of the steel
strike, Chairman Charles P. Taft
of the Federal Mediation Board
said today.
Taft announced that heads Of
the four companies affected by
the strike will return to Cleve-
land tomorrow for q second
conference with the board.
The union group, headed by
John L. Lewis, c. I. o. chair
man, will meet with the board
today, he said.
Taft optimistic
Taft was optimistic as he met
with reporters. Asked If he ex-
pected a settlement, he said:
Eyes. II / didn't I would
be at home. We're going TO
try to continue the progress
we made yesterday"
Other board members are Dean
Lloyd K. Garrison, of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin Law School, and
Assistant Secretary Of Labor Ed.
ward F. McGrady.
Pressure Sought
Taft, shortly before the governor
issued his order at Columbus,
sending troops to the strike area,
talked with him and with PreSi-
dent Roosevelt by telephone.
Taft, it was believed, asked that
pressure be brought to bear on
Republic Steel Corporation and
the Youngstown Sheet and Tube
Company, two of the four COM
panies, preventing them from
carrying out their announced
plan to reopen their youngstown
plants today. Heads Of the two
companies spurned appeals by
Secretary of Labor Frances Per-
kins and Taft that they maintain
a status quo pending action by the
board.
Past Terms Discussed
In a formal statement concern
ing yesterdays all-day conferences,
Chairman Taft revealed that dis
cussion centered chiefly on the an
nounced plans by Republic and
Youngstown Sheet and Tube to re-
open its Youngstown plants, and
on terms of the Carnegie Illinois
contract with the c. I. o. Taft
said:
Each of the companies stated
that there were terms in the
Carnegie Illinois agreement to
which they did and would not
agree under any circumstances"
Taft revealed he had asked the
four company heads to meet with
the union leaders Ito explore the
possibility Of settling the strike"
but that they had refused. Taft
said:
THE heads Of the four COM
panies, for different reasons,
said that they would not meet
with the union representatives
now. They said that they would
have fully authorized repreSen-
tatives meet, each company sep
arately, with the union officials
or any Of them as the repre-
sentative Of their members and
with the board at any cOnven-
lent time and place, the time
and place to be arranged to-
day. They said. however, that
they would refuse to discuss at
such meetings the making or
signing of . contract"
NEW MEETING AGREED
The company heads agreed to
meet with the board again at
any convenient time and place."
Taft said.
In statements this morning, Of
fieialS Of. Republic Steel and
Youngstown Sheet & Tube de-
clined to say fatty whether their
plants would open for work in the
face of the Governors order.
The Republic statement de-
clared that the Governors mobil-
ization of troops takes the an
nounced plans for the opening Of
the plant entirely out Of OUR
hands," but added that "our gates
will be open for the protection Of
any worker approaching the
plant"
Ohio Responsible"
The Sheet and Tube statement
read in part:
ut now develops that the
governor of the State Of Ohio,
presumably because Of threats
of violence made by certain
members of the C. /. O., has
decided that men in MahOning
county shall not be permitted
to enjoy their legal right to
work and has ordered the
sheriff of the county to pre-
vent our employees from enter
ing our plant.
I'VE deeply regret this
apparent breakdown Of law
enforcement. The response
bility for refusing admission
to our plants for the citizens
and taxpayers to resume work
must rest upon the State of
Ohio and mot upon the COM
pany."