Evening star., 1945-12-15
UNION FAY talks with GIN and Ford
recessed until Monday Page Az
By LANES Y. NEWTON.

President Truman may make
a radio appeal in behalf of his
proposal to set up public fact
finding commissions in major
labor disputes which has begged
down in Congress, it was re-
ported reliably today.
While nothing definite has been
decided, officials said the President
might step in and attempt to save
his labor legislation as we'll as the
type of full employment bill he
wants.
The House Labor Committee will
decide today what to do with the
act-finding legislation. The Sem
ate Labor Committee already has
killed all hope of getting action
until well into next year.
The House committee will decide
in executive session whether to re-
port out the bill embodying the
Truman plan, table it or call for
further hearings. Acting Chairman
Ramspeck said continuation of
hearings could contribute little ad-
ditional information. and it was not
believed the committee would as
sumo responsibility for killing the
measure.
A recess in hearings ON a SIM
liar bill before the Senate Labor
Committee until after Congress re-
turns from Christmas holidays
means that the Government must
look to other means for averting a
general steel strike set for January
IA.
Steel Fact Finders Expected.
In view Of this development, 1t
was expected that the President will
follow his earlier plan of appointing
fact-f1nding commission for the
steel dispute similar to the one
which will begin an investigation of
the General Motors strike next week.
Such a board will have to depend on
The voluntary cooperation OF the
steel industry and the CIO United
Steel Workers.
Chairman Murray of the Senate
committee told reporters his group
would hold an additional four weeks
Of hearings on the Truman bill and
kindred issues. resuming a day or so
after Congress reconveneS early next
month.
Mr.. Truman's proposal would ban
strikes or lockouts for 80 days while
a fact finding commission was func-
tioning and invest the commission
with authority to subpoena witnesses
and records. 1t has been strongly
opposed by all labor, while even
management representatives have
suggested many changes
Senator Murray said his commit
tee decided that it would be abso-
lutely impossible to conclude reason
able hearings and get Senate action
on the bill before Christmas" as Mr..
Truman had requested.
Ball Plan to Be Considered.
Along with the Truman plan, the
committee will consider a substitute
proposed by Senator Ball, Repub-
lican, Of Minnesota calling for a
much more elaborate Federal and
State machinery for handling labor
disputes.
Senator Morse, Republican, of
Oregon, also has requested the COM
mittee to look into the effect on in
dustrial relations of the early repeal
of corporation excess profits taxes.
This means that the group probably
will call in the principals in current
and recent strikes and disputes.
Meanwhile, CIO President Philip
Murray said he had asked Secretary
of War Patterson to investigate re-
ports that troops were being trained
for Intervention in industrial dis
putes."
Mr.. Murray made public a letter
to Secretary Patterson in which he
wrote that he had heard of such
alleged preparations" He told a
news conference that discharged
veterans had told him of such train
ing few days ago.
Opposes Use Against Pickets.
Il would appreciate it if an in
vestigation could be made of this
matter in order that if there are
any such preparations being made
by local Army officials they should
be Immediately discontinued" Mr..
Murray wrote.
In response to questions, Mr..
Murray said he did not object to
use of troops to put down riots but
that he did object to any use of SOL
diers against union picket lines.
He handed out copies of what
appeared to be diagram outlining
use of various types of hand grenades
against rioters halting war work" in
an industrial area. The diagram
bore the name of "T. H. Murphy,
colonel, CWS, chemical officer" In
the margin was written Cape Mon
mouth, New Jersey"
At the War Department, spokes-
men said they had no comment at
present.
Continued Cold Weather