The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-11-11
By JOSEPH A. LOTUS

that the War Labor Board still
stands 10y the little steel form
ula, believes that IL can not dis
card il. and wouldn't discard it if
10 could
This notice came from William
n Davis. chairman of the WLB,
and apparently it was intended
TO clear up the board S position
IN view of the recent wage hike
allowed the coal miners.
II was directed specifically at
the CLOS United SteelWorkerS
who want TO abolish the So
called formula which in the in
tcrest of naturalization permits
wage increases only up 10 Is
per cent of late 1871 levels
So far as | am concerned, "
said Davis IN a press conference
statement 4 have not begun to
surrender and do not intend TO
surrender any part Of the wage
sterilization program. As chair
man of the War Labor Board l
am bound 10 adhere 10 and
apply that policy. and a. a cltl-
zen / believe it is essential to
the American worker and | have
Just begun 10 fight for 1T.
HOLD-THE-LINE
That, - questioned a news
man, is a rcaffirmation Of the
hold-the-line doctrine, isn't ito"
You. betcha, was the deter
mined reply.
Discussing the coal case, Davis
said the wage sterilization pol
icy has not been broken by this
decision. The injury that that
episode has done is TO the
boards policy in dealing with
disputes during strikes, with the
no-strike agreement, and with
the labor movement which has,
except for this one exception,
adhered 10 the no-strlke agree
ment. ! mean the responsible
leaders.
Without referring specifically
TO Secretary Ickes negotiations
with the United Mine Workers
during miners strike, Davis
said the policy Of not dealing
with strikers was firmly estab-
and ! am quite sure that
as far as the War Labor Board
is concerned. il Will be firmly
maintained 1t would be foolish
10 say that this occurrence has
not damaged that policy"
As to the Ickes-Lewis agree
nent, he said the only change
made by Mr. Ickes and Mr..
Lewis was 10 sell us IS minutes
IF lunch time for 37I2 cents,
which was the going rate. The
.lnal agreement entered into by
Mr.. lckes was an agreement Iii
which the government bought
he labor of the miners at ex-
actly the same rate that was
paid for it under the contract Of
l94l-l943 They paid $3.50 for
eight hours work, which is ex-
actly what they paid under the
I'D contract
Is PER CENT AVERAGE
The WLB chairman said the
average American worker had
'eceived more than the Is per
,ent increase over his straight
line hourly earnings of Janu-
iry, l94l, but that some groups
If white collar workers had not
-ecelved the Is percent allowed
Oy the little steel formula. He
'aid the board can not do any
hing for those people as indi-
but If they applied as
groups their cases would be
handled
The WLB chairman said It
would take an executive order
from the President 10 change the
policy on the little steel formula.
He contended that even il that
should be done and wages in
basic industries we're raised the
workers would not get any real
increase because prices would
20 up, too, and wages never
would catch up with them.
He said he thought a good lob
Of holding prices down was be-
ing done, infinitely better than
IN the last war" and that with
the help of Congress they would