Evening star., 1945-11-04
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

ny JAMES i. NEWION.
The National Labor Manage
ment Conference convenes here
tomorrow, carrying the Nations
hope that a way will be found
to bring peace to the home front.
Secretary. of Labor Schwellen-
bach. in an apparent attempt to
calm troubled industrial waters on
the eve of the conference, last night
appointed a special conciliator IN
the wage dispute between the United
States Steel Corp. and its workers.
A strike vote among 600, 600 workers
of the steel industry is set for No.
vember %.
An address by President Truman
will open the first-day sessions of
the conference at 1915 pm. in the
Departmental Auditorium. Later in
the day. there viii be addresses by
Mr.. Schwellenbach, Secretary of
Commerce Wallace, AFL President
William Green, CIO President
Philip Murray, Eric Johnston, presi-
dent of the United States Chamber
of Commerce, and Ira Mosher, pres
ident of the National Association Of
Manufacturers.
Long Term Policies Sought.
The administration is hoping for
way of minimizing industrial
strife which has plagued the Nation
almost from the day the Japanese
surrendered. Mr.. Truman called
the meeting in the belief that lead
ers of labor and management could
work out long-term policies on
which to build improved human
relationships in industry.
Secretary Schwellenbach named
Arthur s. Meyer, chairman of the
New York State Mediation Board.
as conciliator of the dispute that
arose when United States Steel
turned down demand of the CIO
United Steel Workers for a 81 per
day wage increase.
In identical letters to Benjamin
F. Fairless. president of the cor
poration, and CIO Chief Murray,
head of the steelworkers, Mr..
Schwellenbach asked that collective
bargaining be resumed Immediately
"m keeping with President Tru-
mans speech" on wage price policy.
Mr.. Murray indicated that Mr..
Meyer was acceptable. Opinion of
MIR. Fairless was not forthcoming
Immediately.
Specifically, delegates to the con-
ference are expected to work out
agreements on principles that will
create better understanding between
labor and management and to rec
ommend machinery to handle dis
putes when free collective bargain-
ing fails. The hoped-for machinery
may be described as a peacetime
substitute for the War Labor Board
which more or less dictated settle
ments in wartime.
Outwardly, both sides have ex-
pressed optimism as to the results
expected. But, the sessions are sure
to be stormy and there are enough
dynamite-laden issues in the indus
trial air to blow up the meeting. A
similar conference after the World
War failed completely, but officials
say it was poorly planned and they
point out that labor unions were
not generally recognized at that
time.
/ There will be 36 voting delegates.
18 for each side. These include the
top men of labor and recognized
leaders of industry. The NAM and
United States Chamber of Conn
merce split the management rep
resentatives. Labor representation
| includes eight each from the AFL
and CIO and one each from the
United Mine Workers and inde-
pendent railroad brotherhoods.
Murray Meets CIO Delegates.
CIO delegates met yesterday with
Mr.. Murray to make their confer
ence plans. The AFL will meet
today. 1t has been indicated that
the CIO will attempt to interject
such current issues as reconversion
wages and prices, unemployment
compensation and full employment.
Federal officials who supervised
planning of the conference, but will
be mere observers once it starts.
hope that business will be confined
to the task of working out ways of
settling differences over employment
conditions without strikes or lock-
outs.
II the agenda is opened wide,
they point out, business viii counter
with demands for amendment of
the Wagner Act, civil penalties for
strikes and other ideas sdistasteful
to labor.
Such a hair-pulling contest, it Is
feared, would break the meeting.
Tomorrow's sessions will be open
tSee LABOR, Page A-4J
/ HlIl lhG NJ HI