Evening star., 1945-10-04
Truman Delays
Order 10 Seize
Oil Refineries
Eric Johnston Confers
With President on
Labor Disputes
AMOCO STRIKE still on, but D. G.
is assured of gasoline. Page B-1

Py the Associated Press.
President Truman today de-
layed temporarily the issuance
of orders for Government seiz-
ure of oil properties affected by
a 15-State strike of CIO oil
workers.
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross
first announced the orders would be
released about noon, but shortly
after that hour reported they would
not be issued 'for at least two
hours"
There was no explanation of the
delay. Mr.. Ross had said the seizure
orders were being drawn up follow
ing failure of Government attempts
to settle the strike of $4,000 workers
through arbitration of wage de-
mands.
Johnston and Truman Confer.
Meanwhile, Eric Johnston, presi-
dent of the United States Chamber
OF Commerce, conferred with Mr..
Truman about the labor crisis and
emerged with the statement that
both management and labor will
have ito use their heads" to solve
current disputes.
Il say to you in my opinion If
management and labor ought to
slug it out rather than reason it
out, they'll be fighting it out for
several years." Mr.. Johnston told
reporters.
"Wen have to use our heads, not
lose them"
He said he told the President he
was optimistic over prospects for
success at the iabor-management
conference next month.
But" he said, "I'd like to stress
that we're not going to solve all the
problems of the world at that meet
ing"
Wiley Calls Strikes Sabotage.
At the Capitol, Senator Wiley. Re-
publican, of Wisconsin told the Sen
ate that strikes now are "acts of
sabotage against reconversion."
"A strike against the Government
is only one step removed from re-
bellion," Senator Wiley declared.
Similarly strike against the peo-
pie that deprives them of food,
transportation and communication
is well nigh treason"
Mr.. Ross said the seizure order
would affect the struck properties,
but did not disclose whether entire
companies or affected refinerieS will
be taken over.
Agency Not Designated.
Neither did he say what Federal
agency would be authorized to seize
the plants, involved in wage dispute
between the oil workers and II COM
panies.
Officials of the Petroleum Admin
istration for War, the agency which
probably will be designated to carry
out the refinery seizure. went to the
White House this morning.
PAW reported that 81 refineries
are affected by the work stoppages.
In addition, other plants are being
picketed although employees are not
on strike. Operations are curtailed
in the picketed refineries.
Whether the picketed refineries,
not directly involved in the dispute,
will be seized along with plants
tied up by strikes was a question
to be determined at the White
House conference.
Agency's Staff Reduced.
A PAW official said the agency,
which already had substantially re-
duced its staff preparatory to going
out of business January /, faces a
serious manpower problem if it
handles the Government seizure.
In some cases, seizure may be
accomplished by sending a PAW
representative to reflneries to take
control. In others. the companies
may be instructed by telegram that
the plants are to be operated on be-
half Of the Government.
Seizure was a last resort to re-
turn the refineries to operation.
There was no let-up, meanwhile,
in the labor squabbles hampering
reconversion.
115,000 Miners on Strike.
Another $4,000 of John l.. Lewis
bituminous coal miners walked out
yesterday, bringing the total to 49,
600. The estimated 675 ,000-ton daily
loss in production represents about
two-thirds of the Nations output.
Government officials had looked
to settlement by conciliation of the
oil workers strike for a pattern.
But that pattern was a gloomy one
today.
The union wanted a 80 per cent
pay increase to offset losses in earn
ings when the work week is cut
from 48 to 40 hours. Secretary of
Labor Schwellenbach, after seven
days of Cancellation conferences in
Chicago and Washington, proposed
a temporary compromise at is per
cent. An arbitrator was to make
the final settlement.
This was acceptable to the union,
but only one OF the 10 companies
agreed to the proposal without
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