The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-17

Roosevelt may be planning to
 The reaction of labor and industry to the boards policy, 1t was believed, nay determine whether MT. Roose- Velt will suggest further controls Sver wages and salaries.
 The boards policy was set forth Ast night in it's decision in the Little steel" case which ordered . wage increase of A cents 6 day tor iS7,O0O steel workers and ordered The four companies involved to es- tahlish Union maintenance of mem- 6ershlp and a minimum daily wage scale.
 The stabilization policy, the board said, was designed to maintain woSkers' purchasing power at Jan Iiary, f941, "peacetime" levels. Chairman William H. Davis said it would ''lead to a terminal for the tragic race between wages and prices"
 The employer members of the board, in Q coa1curring opinion, con- cluded that the proposal was "a reasonable and justifiable solution. A formula to which we can anchor and if adhered to, should set up a barrier to check wage de- mands"
 Earlier this week. Congressional leaders reported that Mir Roosevelt had asked them to forego sched- uled six-weeks' recess to be on hand to receive a plan for wage and salary control if they decided such steps were necessary. Davis said he could not commit the President to the wage formula set up by his board, but from other sources it was learned that it was issued with the full knowledge and approval of MT. Roosevelt.
 Might Endorse It
 There was speculation in informed quarters that If management and labor generally accept the labor boards formula as a reasonable ad- jtistmeflt to the rising cost of living, the President might endorse it form ally as the administrators policy henceforth. However, if there is opposition, MT. Roosevelt then might 40 ahead with more drastic meas ures to stop the inflationary trend of rising wages. Such a step, 1t was believed, almost certainly would be coupled with reiteration Of hls earlier suggestion, which Congress ignored, limit salary te. $25,OOo a year. .A .
 The only reaction ff.-s, labor has been the vigorous dissent of the four labor members of the WLB to the wage section of the decision in the case.
 TAe Union had demanded a $1- a-dwy increase and the dissenters said that the majority carried on its deliberations with fixed inten- ton not to grant more than token adjustment"
 SIn short, the board has acted on the assumption that the cost of living will now be stabilized" the dissenters said. Obviously and contentestably, now means at the expense of the workers.
 President Philip Murray of the Oonnress of Industrial organizations, who also is President of the Union involved, the United Steel workers of America, confers with his policy committee today in Pittsburgh to decide whether to accept the boards decision. He conferred with President Roosevelt and Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins yesterday, but would not comment on the de- cisi0n or his conferences.
 May Be Precedent
 The decision in the steel case had been known for several days but there had been no hint that the board would use the case as the medium through which to attempt to set up a wage formula. However, it had been conceded that the case probably would establish a precen- dent for decisions on other pend ing wage disputes, involving thous-