Evening star., 1946-01-06

February l a new study Of the steel
industry's earnings position. This
study will be used by the board in
making wage recommendations.
The industry claims that it needs
price relief to make current opera
tions profitable and would need still
higher prices in order to raise wages.
The President asked the board to
investigate only the dispute involv-
ing United States Steel, giant Of
the industry. Mr.. Feinsinger said
he may ask Mr.. Truman to permit
extension Of the Investigation to
include other "integrated" or rep
resentative companies.
Murray to Go to Pittsburgh.
After the boards appeal to the
union and United States Steel to
resume wage talks, CIO President
Murray, who also heads the Steel
Workers, said he will be in Pitts
burgh tomorrow and Tuesday and
will be available for conferences
. " II they are convened. !"
Government efforts to halt the
January 16 strike of more than 200,- =
600 CIo Packingtouse Workers,
which the AFL union In the industry
has threatened to- join, centered
around ways of allowing the big
packers higher prices to enable them
to raise wages. Cancellation Chief
Warren said he hoped all this could
be worked out before the meetings
in Chicago Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday with the union and
packers.
The CIO union, which originally
demanded an increase of Is cents
an hour has said it would settle for
173z cents more Immediately. Swift
& Co., one Of the big Four" pack
ers, has offered 7h cents additional
pay.
Like the steel industry. the pack
ers claim they must get more for
meat, and there are some Govern
ment officials who believe they will
get more either by higher prices
passed along to consumers or
through an increase in Federal meat
subsidies.
Mr.. Clark, the CIO union head,
told reporters yesterday his group
was following a hands-on policy on
the price question. He added that
his discussions with Federal officials
developed some talk over possibility
of setting up a board to investigate
the dispute, but he said the union
opposed the idea.
I'VE are not fighting price in
creases," Mr.. Clark said. IF the
packers need a price increase and
can prove it before Government
agencies that's their responsibility.
We are not supporting them"
Rail Strike Postponed.
Elsewhere in labor:
A strike of the Brotherhood Of
Railroad Trainmen on the st. Louis
San Francisco Railroad, scheduled
for 6 pm. today. was postponed after
Mr.. Truman appointed an emer-
gency board to investigate the dis
pute under the Railway Labor Act.
The act provides that no work stop
page shall ensue during a boards
investigation. The strike would have
affected 1000 employees of the Frisco
road and tied up freight in nine
States.
Discussions seeking settlement
in the wage dispute affecting the
Nations shipyards were recessed
until January IA. The Shipbuilding
Sterilization Commission, repre-
sentatives Of Federal procurement
agencies, management and union
leaders have been unable to agree
on settlement. No action was taken
before the recess ON the 10 per cent
wage rise offer made to both CIO
and AFL unions involved.
In Pittsburgh, the Aluminium Co.
Of America said an offer Of an i'm
mediate 10-cents-an-hour wage in
crease, made recently to employees,
had been accepted by workers in
nine plants, but ignored at eight
other plants whose workers were