Evening star., 1945-10-21
Truman Is Seen
Awaiting Break
In Wage Line
Hope Of Maintaining
Price Level Rests on
Collective Bargaining
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

President Truman continued
wage-price policy discussions
yesterday with indications he
would reiterate his determina-
tion to hold the price line" at
least for while and leave to
collective bargaining settlement
of labor's demands for higher
rates to maintain take home
pay.
This decision would be based on
the belief of many officials that
most industry can afford to raise
pay with little or no advance in
price and that if new wage agree
ments can be shaken loose in some
major industry-such as automo-
biles-the pattern would be accepted
generally, relieving strike pressure
all along the line.
Mr.. Truman discussed the price
wage issue with Price Administrator
Chester Bowles. Reconversion Di-
rector Snyder was also in attend-
ance. Mr.. Bowles would not COM
ment as he left the White House
except to say he is sitting in on the
price phases of the discussions.
Truman to Talk Tomorrow.
The White House has said the
President will have something to say
tomorrow on the wage problem, SUBJ
ject of discussion Friday of both the
cabinet and a later meeting Of
agency heads with Mr.. Snyder.
Most officials frankly fear in
f1ationary effects of formula that
would allow general wage increases
without regard for effect on prices.
1t would have to be backed up with
provisions for price relief, and they
fear this would set in motion an
uncomfortable inflationary spiral
The Government wants labor and
management to set their own re-
conversion wage pattern. Officials
are playing for time in the hope
the two sides can reach a COM
promise somewhere between labor's
demand for 30 per cent higher pay
and big industry's fiat refusal to
give ground. Agreement in one big
industry might break the current
log jam, they believe.
GIN Head Called.
With this latter point in mind,
Charles E. Wilson, president Of
General Motors Corp, was sum-
moned to the White House late
| Friday for a conference with Mr..
Truman and Mr.. Snyder. No state
ment was issued after the meeting,
but it was said the officials wanted
to find out first hand just how far
GIN would go on the wage issue.
| Mr.. Wilson returned to Detroit
and announced his plan for a As
hour work week as means Of main.
tanning labor's wartime take-home
pay. 1t calls for a wage boost OF
from to per cent on the length
ened work week, with overtime to
start after As hours. In this way.
he said, worker would get as
much pay for 48 hours as he does
now under the 40-hour law with
time and half above that point.
Initial reaction to Mr.. wilson's
scheme among labor officials was
not favorable They said it was
doubtful if the plan would be &C
ceptable to any union, and one union
spokesman said the GIN head was
inviting strike"
| Strike Vote Wednesday.
Negotiations on the CIO United
Automobile Workers demand for 80
per cent higher pay already have
begun at General Motors, and a
strike vote is set for Wednesday at
120 GIN plants. A similar poll will
be taken at Ford plants the follow
ing day and at Chrysler a week later.
Reports received by labor officials
here indicate that Ford and the
UAM are not far apart on the wage
issue and that a settlement might
be announced soon. An agreement
with Ford would put great pressure
on the other members of the auto
mobile big three. Ford officials an
nounced months ago they would
boost pay as soon as Federal wage
policy would allow In the past