The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-18
Steel Mills Must Be Kept Open F or Defense
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NOOAbAkAUSU Jchn w. Mccormack of Massaehu' setts and Sen. Tom Connally, D. Tex, conferred with MT. Roosevelt for about an hour and 0 half on tht labor situation in general and thu cool strike in particular.
 Rayburn said the conVersatio had been general. He would no discuss details of the leg 'slatloI which Is most likely to have ad' ministratlon backing.
 Connally, who has c new lahol bill pending before the senate iu' dlc!ary committee, said the captive mine strike called by John L, Lewi' was discussed "fully and thor oughly" with the president,
 The Connally measure would au' thoriEe the president to seize ane operate industrial plants or mines shut down by strikes,
 ConnAlly said that MT. Roosevelt also had gone over the foreign pol Icy picture, giving particular eEa- phasls to tho Japanese situation.
 There still was no definite indiea' ton as to what specific new action the president had In mind regard Ing the captive coal strike, although associates reported he intended to "crack down hard" Nor was it known when he intended to act.
 Calls Conference
 He turned from the coal stoppage km Ahn khpAA kAF as SAaklNa9VtyifA rail . road strike, calling Q noon confer ence with railroad executives, labor leaders and federal officials.
 Lewis met, meantime, with the 200-man national policy committed of the United Mine Workers Union (CIO) and after an hour recessed the session until 10 Q. m. Saturday Lewis had TO comment at the con. clus.on of the meeting.
 He said he had no plans to 90 to Detroit for the CIO national con- vention because other matters would keep him here.
 William Hynes, Uniontown, Pa, president of UNIV district 70, said that commercial mixers had staged 6 sympathy walkout in Greene County, Pa. this morning. HyneS said the UNIV have 5000 men there half of them employed in captive mines.
 Anti-strike bills have been ready for weeks. Supporters of such legis- lation predicted that an adminls- tration-supported bill could be passed in less than a week.
 Sen. Tom Connally, D., Tex. plans to start hearings Friday on his bill to authorize the govern ment to take over any plant whose owner refuses to produce for na- tional defense at a reasonable price It could, he said, be broadened to Include plants or mines shut down 3y strikes.
 q hope to get President Roose- velt's approval of the bill in prin- ciple," Connally said. I'm not try- ing to socialize industry. The im- portant thing is to keep production going"
 Composite Bill
 A siX-point, composite bill de- signed to curb strikes was ready for House action. It would freeze open and closed shops at their pres ent status; prohibit mass picket ing; provide a 30-day cooling of period; forbid strikes unless ap- proved by a majority of the work. CTS in a secret election condvcted under government supsrvisiolIs. and prohibit sympathy, juriSdictional and boycott strikes.
 Sen. James M. Mead, D., N. r. has submitted to Mir. Roosevelt a preliminary plan for a new type of labor mediation board as a substi- tute for outright anti-strike legisla. tion.
 Many federal labor and defense 1ficials have urged speedy action to end the captive" mine strike and prevent its further spread .n commercial mines employing 330,000 men.
 United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis kept his 2o0-man poll icy committee here pending further developments" afier it had unani- mousiy approved his demand that the steel companies sign a union contract .n their coal mines-the only point at issue.
 4 mine union spokesman said Lewis had received ''hu.dreds" of teiegrans from locals throughout the country pleeging support. Many were from locals working in com. mercial mines and not affected by the strike call.
 Calls for Action
 Worcester, Mass, Nov. ls-CUPl The National Grange today called on President Roosevelt and Con- gFess to act swiftly and firmly to halt aIl strikes relating directly CT indirectly to national defense in- duEtrleS.
 Righty-Gour delegates represent ing 37 states at the Grange9 Tsth annual convention unanimously adopted the anti-stFiks resolution and wired cop'es of lt Co President Roosevelt. V.ce-prezident HeETy 4. Wallace and House Speaker San RayhuFn.