Evening star., 1945-10-18

Workers. in calling off the coal
strike, but in response to question,
said he did not know what mott
waited Mr.. Lewis.
Mr.. Truman recalled that UNIV
spokesman had said that Mr.. Lewis
took the action in the public inter-
est and that, he added, made him
very happy.
He commented that he wished
everybody would do that.
The President refused to express
an opinion as to whether he thought
the Smith -Connally AntiStrike Act
should be repealed. He said that
was matter for Congress to decide
and added when that issue came up
he would express an opinion on 1t.
Wage-Price Policy Studied.
Federal officials concerned with
reconversion and labor problems
were breathing easier. The end of
the coal strike enabled them to give
more attention to wage-price policy
and other ways of minimizing iri-
dustrial disputes #
This breathing spell for Secretary
of Labor Schwellenbach and others
may be short-lived, however, for
strike votes are set for next week
in scores of General Motors and
Chrysler Corp. plants and the CIO
United Automobile Workers starts
negotiations tomorrow with General
Motors on the workers demand for
30 per cent higher pay. Z
Although Mr. Lewis telegraphed
orders to his field officials to
have the 216,000 miners back on
the job next Monday, reports from
mining areas indicated that it would
require a week to have the more
than 1000 struck mines in six States
in full operation once more.
Acting on Mr.. Lewis telegram
calling off the strike, move which
K. C. Adams, miners spokesman,
said was made in the public inter-
est" the Solid Fuels Administration
lifted all its shipping restrictions in
the seven mining districts affected
by the strike. STA said the stop
page which began September 81 cost
the Nation 100000 tons of coal,
raising the years total production
deficit to 26,O0O,000 tons.
Steel Tieup Continues.
Steel companies said it would take
more than a week to resume normal
operations in their industry. The
coal shortage closed many steel fur
naces and caused producers to fur
Tough more than $4,000 workers.
Secretary Schwellenbach, who
failed to settle disputes in both
the oil and coal industries, ap-
pointed a committee to determine
what's wrong with the conciliatlon
service and try to find ways of
building it up. The committee will
be headed by DR.. Sumner H. Slight
er of Harvard University and Ar
thur S. Meyer. chairman Of the
New York State Mediation Board.
1t will include industry and labor
members.
On the wage price front, series
of speeches delivered in the last two
days by Reconversion Director
Snyder were being examined closely
for possible indication of what the
Governments policy would be.
Mr.. Snyder, speaking in New
York, New Haven and Boston, sug-
gested that it was the Government S
determination to hold prices while
allowing some advances in wages.
The workers of America are not
interested in getting higher wages
if their increased pay means a still
higher cost of living" Mr.. Snyder
said in New York. AN unchecked
race between wages and prices would
bring on initiation. We cannot agree
to that. The cost of living must be
held.
Move Surprises Operators.
Mr.. Lewis move ending the coal
strike was sudden, catching even
mine operators by surprise. The
operators had met here for II days
in Mr.. Schwellenbach's attempt to
end the stoppage.
The strike was caused by Mr.
Lewis demand for recognition of
his union of mine supervisors and
the< operators steadfast refusal to
give ground on that point
Higher pay was not involved in
the dispute. Operators suggested
that pressure from production
workers who had little to gain from
the strike caused the mine leader
to order all back to work
Action Not Explained.
Mr.. Lewis gave no explanation fol
the move. He said that the big
showdown on the .foremen's issue
was postponed until a more "ap-
propriate" time.
Officials who know the mine lead.
er said his action indicated clearly
that he had not authorized the stop.
rage. If he had, they said. it was
highly unlikely that he would have
called it off.
Walter Reuther, vice presiden