The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-22

AuE btCtl AA1H1tAF WttA NAAa matched boldness rejected the de- termination of the President of the United states.
 ssThc General Motors Corporation has, without any qualm, rejected the recommendation of the fact finding panel for settlement of the current wage dispute between that union and the UAW-CTo. The union accepted the compromise proposal.
 Reviews Negotiations
 President Truman recommended gsttlement of the steel workers demands with a svage increase of si.48 6 day. The union accepted, but U. s. Steel Corporation re- fused to grant more than Sl.2O a day. In the General Motors case, fact-finding board recommended an increase of ig Ia cents an hour.
 "The struggle is now one which runs far beyond the steel workers and the steel corporations. It is of the utmost importance to every American that this fact be clearly understood" Murray said. "Ameri- can industry, fattened with war profits, guaranteed 0 high level Of profits through special tax rebates under laws written at their behest, have deliberately set out to destroy labor unions, to provoke strikes and economic chaos and mulct the AIn- erican people through uncontrolled profits and inflation."
 As Murray spoke pickets of his steel union patrolled more than i,2OO steel and aluminium plants in 30 states where 750,00O workers were on strike. Approximately i00,- 900 office workers, 5000 employed in dependent railroad operations and growing number of employees in steel-using factories also were idle.
 Hairless Wanted Fairness
 Murray renewed his charge that U. s. Steel President Benjamin F. Hairless, representing big steel, had on Jan. 12 admitted to the fair ness" of the unions compromise offer of l0 l-2 cents an hour.
 He requested a week during which time he proposed to per- suade officials of his own corpora ation and the representatives of the steel industry to accept it," Mur- ray said.
 Hairless has termed Murray's &C., cusation @ base lie."
 U. s. Steel inserted full-page advertisements in newspapers throughout the nation reprinting Hairless reply to President Tru- mans compromise proposal. In the answer, Hairless said there was no basis for an IS 1-2 cent an hour increase and that it was certain to result in great financial harm. not only to this corporation. but also to the users of steel"
 Other Industries Affected
 With 100000 tons of steel a day choked off by the strike, the Am erican Iron & Steel Institute pre- dicted today current steel inventor ies of larger steel-consuming com panies may be exhausted within two weeks. If the steel strike con- tinues, the automobile and electri- cal equipment appliance industries, already plagued by walkouts will be closed.
 The steel milk of the nation were scheduled to operate an only 4.9 per cent of production this week "a drop of more than 93 per cent from last weeks rate. Production of ingots and steel castings will approximate 89.700 tons. In 1893, according to the Steel Institute, the weekly average was 86. 352 tons.
 Murray was to meet with the union negotiating committee today preparatory to presenting a review of the strike situation to the full IFS man wage policy committee to- morrow.
 Independents Continue
 Meanwhile, steel operations were limited to a few independent com- paIlies, led by Henry J. Kaiser's Fontana Steel in California, which have agreed to the unions demands
 Tickets marched in rain, snow and slush before idle mills from New Hampshire to California: from Michigan to Texas. Picketing large ly was only token" Carnegie Illinois Steel Corp, U. s. Steel sub- sidiary. and Bethlehem Steel Corp. the largest producers, annoupced they would not attempt to operate.
 Company and union figures in- dicate the steel strikers will lose salaries approximating s6,5OO,OOO daily.
 Tn Pennsylvania and Western New York at least 20 cOmDanieS have signed agreements with the union ealing for wage increases of IS l-2 cents or more. Tn at least two instances, Columbia Radiator CO. McKeesport, Pa. and Du- Quesne Smelling Co, Pittsburg, the contrcts contained clauses proyid- ing for revision and refunds in event U. s. Steel signs for a dif- ferent amount.
 N0n-CI0 Mills 0neFaie