Evening star., 1946-01-24

cents instead OF the IS cents
asked by President Truman.
The present minimum is 40
cents.
BY the Associated Press.
Congressional efforts to put
the heat on management, in
stead of workers, in the current
strike epidemic began to take
shape today.
The drive is being spanked by foes
OF proposals for stern regulation of
industrial strife, and some of these
lawmakers claim the White House
is not adverse to at least one turn
on the griddle for employers in
volved in strikes.
This new tack developed as sew
eral Senators and Representatives
advocated speedy abolition or modi-
fication of present laws giving tax
rebates to corporations whose 1916
profits drop below prewar levels.
Sponsors of this plan, including
one House member with reported
White House backing, disclosed a
program for frequent floor speeches
defending labor and criticizing en-
ployers for their position in present
strikes.
Presidential support was claimed
Tor House address in which Rep
resentative Biemiller, Democrat, of
Wisconsin asserted earlier in the
week that the United States Steel
Corp. would have made money" if
1t had accepted the wage compro-
mise advanced by President Truman.
Mr.. Biemiller said the company
would have added 5000 900 900 yearly
to its income through a $4-a-ton
price boost, while paying out $780,
100000 in wage increases at the sug-
gested l8.5 cents an hour gain. The
81 price boost repeatedly would have
been sanctioned by the administra-
tion.
Several of Mr.. Biemiller's COL
ieagues told a reporter his figures
came from the White House" Mr..
Blemiller would say only that "thev
represent compilation by OPA and
the Labor Department" and that "I
was asked to make them public so
people would know the situation"
Mr.. Biemiller, along with other
close friends of organized labor such
as Representatives Hook, Demo-
crat, of Michigan; Savage. Demo-
crat, OF Washington; Bradley, Dem
ocrat, of Pennsylvania; La Toilette,
Republican, of Indiana, and Marc
antonio, American Labor Party, of
New York, plan to launch a series
OF similar speeches in the House
Senators Morse, Republican, of
Oregon; Kilgore, Democrat, of West
Virginia, and Murray, Democrat, of
Montana, are expected to carry on
along the same line in their cham
ber.
These members hope not only to
gain supporters, but also to stave
OIL quick passage of several pending
labor bills which they consider too
restrictive.
Pending Labor Measures.
The pending measures include
one by the House Military Affairs
Committee to penalize unions for
violating no-strike contracts and to
limit union political activity; one
by the House Interstate Commerce
Committee to regulate procedure of
unions in the radio broadcasting
field, and others suggested as
amendments to a House Labor Com
mittee bill setting up fact-hnding
boards to recommend solutions for
industrial disputes.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of vir-
ginia yesterday introduced meas
ure calling for labor which
he said have become "a big business"
to register with the Securities and
Commission.
The tax refund revision demands
were spurred on by the contention
of CIO President Philip Murray that
because of present tax rebate laws
the strike-bound steel industry is
guaranteed profits that are 20 per
cent above the level of prewar earn
ings," even If it should loaf the rest
Of the year-remain absolutely idle" ;"
Mr.. La Toilette introduced a bill
banning the refunds to companies
which the National Labor Relations
Board decided caused strikes by un-
fair labor practices. Representative
Bailey, Democrat, of West Virginia
has a bill pending to reneal
(see CONGRESS, Pasl A-z3