Evening star., 1949-12-11

that 1t has q duty to provide 10
well as depreciation Of plant an
about. The dispute was not owe
formally in preliminary discus
sions leading to the 1948 contract
i Facts of what the settlemen
was are easy to establish. Motive
behind the settlement are dificul
to assess. This reporter found, u
his inquiry. a disposition on th'
part Of steel executives to 'le
sleeping dogs lie." Their genera
idea was that they had a settle
: ment which had produced peace
full relations with the union ant
they were unwilling to say any
thing for publication that nigh
disturb that situation.
Mr.. Murray isn't so reticent. HI
took occasion, in discussing tn
Bethlehem formula with tn
writer to contrast it with tn
Mohawk Valley formula" ,
strike breaking technique Of tn
mid-1930s widely publicizee
through investigation by formel
Senator La Follette's Civil Lber
ties Committee.
The Mohawk Valley formula
called for labelling strike leaders
as agitators, preferably "outsid'
agitators." for raising the issue o1
Flaw and order" If necessary BY
provoking incidents Of violence
It suggested that where feasible
local business interests be won te
anti-union positions by threat.
to move the struck plant out ol
town and so deprive the com.
munity Of its payroll. Important
in the formula was the organiza.
ton of Citizens Back to Work
Committees" and the fixing
through them. of a date for re-
opening struck plants.
Formulas Contrasted
"I suppose" Mr.. Murray said
lone could place the Bethlehem
formula and the Mohawk Valley
formula side by side to emphasize
by contrast the progress Of labor.
management relations In the las,
dozen or so years.
THE Bethlehem formula fol
pensions and social insurance
brings hope and security for the
worker. The Mohawk Valley for.
mula was designed to beat dowr
the worker and send him back tt
the factory in virtual serfdom.
THE Bethlehem formula make.
him a part of the community be.
cause. obviously. he gains ir
money, and, as a self-sustainins
member of society, what he re.
ceives through it will be felt ir
a beneficial way by all segments
'The Mohawk Valley formuls
sought to turn the community
against the worker, to turn mer.
chants, civic groups, professional
men and. yes, religious leaders
against an honest workingman
seeking to improve his lot through
his union.
"True, the Bethlehem formula
evolved out of strikes, but the
former was predicated on a real
ization that man is creature OF
God. while the latter-the Mohawk
Valley formula-came into prac-
tice from sadistic mind which
viewed man as a mere automator
by the very nature Of its devilish
concept. BY the very nature OF
its humanitarian concept, the
Bethlehem formula will live"
A major element Of the Mohawk
Valley formula was its mobiliza-
tion of public opinion In support
Of industry rather than in support
Of unions. In large measure the
CIO steel workers have taken over
that technique and used it fol
their own purposes.
Effect on Prices
There are steel workers ap-
preaching retirement whose socia,
security benefits are not substan.
tial; there are younger steel work.
ers with many years before they
will attain retirement age whose
social security benefits at that
time should pay the greater part
of the minimum 500 pension
guaranteed by the contract, ever
if social security benefits shoulc
remain at the 1949 level. This
again illustrates the difficulty o1
attempting to arrive at one firm
figure which would represent pen.
sion cost under the contract tt
the steel companies.
But the writer was able to OBJ.
tain, from the head Of one of thu
big steel companies. an ff-the.
record estimate Of what the new
contract would mean for thai
particular company in terms o,
added cost per ton OF steel. An.
other difficulty is to arrive at 6
firm figure for what a ton o1
steel costs, because "steel" i!
structural girders, rails, nails. ane
100 or more products. each o.
which has q different manufac.
turing cost. When one speaks o1
a single figure for the cost of 6
ton of steel that figure represent.
a weighted product MIX" taking
account Of how much Of thu
total production Is girders, rails
nails and the other steel products
That weighted figure is nov
computed, without reference t.
the added costs of the new labo,
contract, as about 500 ton. Al
informed estimate of the averag.
cost Of the new labor contract, IL
terms Of tons Of Steel, is $2.75 {
ton. This figure came from ar
officer Of one of the big steel com.
panies.
But he pointed out, as other!
have, that steel labor contract!
have a tAndency tn set a oattern