Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-14
Reduced Power
For BowIes in
New Shifts Seen
OPA Chief Described
As Fed Up';; Entire
Policy Up to Trumon
By jones Y. Newton


Dop Federal officials working
on ways to end industrial tur-
MOL today denied reports that
formulation of new general
wage-price policy or the steel
price problem were seriously tied
up In new controversies, adding
that the whole problem was now
before President Truman for
final decision.
One high official said he saw no
hitch that would delay the long
awaited sterilization announcements
beyond today, and added "but lust
to be on the safe side 1 would
say the news will be released to-
morrow at the latest"
Meanwhile, uncertainty developed
as to just what Price Administra-
tor Chester Bowles' status will be
IN the new sterilization program.
His friends reported, and it was
generally conceded, that while Mr..
BoWles lost his fight to hold a firm
price line, he was to be elevated
TO head up the new program. White
House advisers limited today, how
ever. that perhaps he would not
receive the sweeping authority pre-
olcted, and his decisions would re-
main subject to veto of Reconversion
Director Snyder.
Bowles Described as Fed Up."
just what effect this will have
on the anticipated changes in high
Federal sterilization personnel was
not clear. Reported as on the verge
OF resigning from Government sew
eral times during his price-waee
conflict with Mr.. Snyder, Mr.. Bowles
now was described by one official
as fed up with the whole business"
Mr.. Truman was said to have re-
1ected plan Endorsed by majority
OF his advisers working on the wage
price problem that would have re-
stored wartime controls over wages.
The plan, strongly opposed by labor
generally and Secretary of Labor
Schwellenbach specifically, would
have necessitated Wage Sterilization
Board approval of all wage increases
whether higher prices were involved
or not.
BY this method the Government
would have attempted to hold all
wage increases to the levels of a
national or area pattern understood
to be 16 to Is per cent recommended
by Federal fact-flnding boards. Mr..
Truman was described as feeling the
idea would, cause more trouble in the
way of labor opposition than it
would settle.
Substitute Offered.
In place of the discarded broad
controls over wages, it was believed
the final draft of new policy would
call for submission to the Stabiliza-
ton Board of only those wage boosts
that would affect prices, in line
with current practice. The board
would reject any wage raise which
would exceed the national pattern
or would not be in line with other
sterilization criteria.
Secretary Schwellenbach, it was
said, offered a substitute for broad
controls which would have left it
up to the company involved whether
wage increase not Immediately
involving a price boost would be
submitted for WSB approval. The
company. however, would be pre-
cluded from using the wage increase
as an argument for price relief at
any future time unless WSB had
approved it. This would virtually
have forced board review of all pay
increases. Currently, management
may grant wage raises and apply
for a review by OPA after six
months if it finds its operations
improbable.
Reports were circulated last night
that new controversies had erupted
in the Bowles and Snyder camps as
to the size of the price increase to be.
given the steel industry in an effort
to obtain settlement of the 25-day-
old strike.
PreS1dent Reported lrked.
Some officials not connected with
the agency said the reports were cir
culated by Bowles' followers" in
OPA and they denied the steel prob
lem was seriously snagged. Never
theless, White House sources said
the President was irked by new re-
ports of controversy.
The size of the price increase to
be granted steel was still said to be
about IS a ton for both carbon and
alloy steels. The wage increase the
striking CLIO United Steel Workers
will get is 1871 cents an hour. OPA
still opposes any raise in the price
of alloy steels, maintaining that the
profit margin on such types is large
enough to enable manufacturers toI
q hS0rb the entire NO oe iy1nraoee