Evening star., 1946-01-24

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industry and labor had too mucl
power was similar to a remark mad,
by President Roosevelt during tn,
sitdoWn strikes accompanying tn,
CLOS rise to power in the late 1930s
Mr.. Roosevelt's reaction to the grea
industrial unrest of the time was 4
plague on both your houses"
Saying the Government was doinl
all it possibly could to calm the boil.
ing industrial situation, Mr.. Truman
said the labor management battle tl
determine which is the power is mo-
in the public interest at all.
He said he had been doing his
best to get the Nations industrial
machinery in high gear in the
manufacture of peacetime goods anc
it was time for all who can to 60 tc
work. Specifically, the steel indus.
try, he added, should put into effect
his l8l2 -cents-an-hou wage in
crease recommendation
he thought a wage agreement ir
steel would lead to settlement OF
the three-month General Motors
Corp. automotive strike. He an.
sWered that he could not say defin-
itely, but it was logical to conclude
that it would happen.
He declined to discuss congress
sional proposals for an investigation
to determine whether there is big
business conspiracy to break unions
as the CIO has charged. He said he
did not know anything about tina,
situation.
Hasn't Seen Murray Letter.
The President said he had moi
seen CIO President Philip Murray.
letter to Secretary of Treasury VIM
son protesting large tax rebates tc
steel and other industries and ask
ing repeal of such tax law provisions
He commented that he knew al
about tax refund provisions and hac
no suggestions to make about them
Mr.. Truman disclosed that the
Government is exploring ways oi
continuing operation of huge Gov
ernment-built plant at Provo, Utah
The CIO suggested that about g
billion dollars" worth of Govern.
ment-owned steel plants be turned
over to individuals willing to give
workers the pay raise recommended
by the President. He said most of
the war-built plants were integra-
tions of other plants, except the one
in Utah.
When he was asked what he meant
by the Government asserting itsel1
in labor disputes, the President re-
piled that he had asked Congress:
for legislation it had not seen fl
to give him. The reference was tc
his proposal for fact-finding boards
backed up with subpoena power anc
a 30-day cooling period in major
disputes.
Ceilings to Prevail.
Secretary Anderson stressed that
all cuts of meat will continue to be
sold under present OPA retail CELL
ings after the Government seizes
the meat-packing plants.
Agriculture officials said tha
somewhat less than $50 slaughterins
houses plus a large number O
branch houses would be involved il
the seizure. They amount to abou
half of the Nations meat process.
ing industry.
The man charged with taking
over the meat plants under these
conditions is Gayle G. Armstrong
New Mexico rancher and a close per.
sonal friend of the Secretary oi
Agriculture.
Named by Mr. Anderson yester.
day, Mr. Armstrong is assistant ad.
ministrator of Agriculture's Produc-
ton and Marketing Administration
and vice president of the Commodity
Credit Corp.
Secretary Anderson told reporter,
his department will operate seizee
plants through the presidents OF
board chairmen of the affected
packing concerns. Mr.. Armstrong
was due on the scene in advance tl
arrange details.
Fact-fiinding hearings in the wage
dispute continued in Chicago fol
the third day, and Chairman Edwir
E. Witte said they would be con.
cluded despite Government seizure
since "the facts must be deter.
mined"
Production Down so Per Cent.
The strike was sweeping bare tn,
country's larders, despite continued
operation of small independents
Federal inspections of meat showes
inspected production go per cen
below previous figures.
Even if the strikers return to work
meat packers said it would take fiv,
days to return to normal operations
The CIO has demanded a 171a.
cent hourly increase, with an addi.
tional 712 cents to be negotiated
The AFL asked a 20-cent hourly
raise, S36 weekly minimum and {
40-hotlr week.