Evening star., 1949-07-15
For Peace in Steel

1 lie UlS SIccl COlIlpdIllcS AdNC CdACll d
highly dubious course in refusing, up to
this writing, to go along with President
Truman's plan to set up special fact
finding board in an effort to avert a
paralyzing strike in the industry. OF
course, they are well within their rights
in doing so, but they nevertheless are likely
to find themselves very much on the de-
tensive in terms OF public opinion.
There are several reasons why the COM
panies have responded unfavorably to
the proposal chief among them being
the following: Cd BY submitting their
case to such board, they might be COM
mitting themselves to an arbitrated settle
ment whose terms they would have to
accept; (2) the board itself might be
made up of inexpert or doubtfully impartial
individuals; and 60 the procedure pro-
posed by the President sidesteps the
machinery of the Taft-Hartley law.
Certainly, as far as the first two points
are concerned, the steel companies have
cause to be wary particularly in view Of
their experience with similar setup in
1945. But the President has specifically
emphasized that the new boards recon-
side, and if its membership were capable
and fair-minded, progress toward an even-
handed settlement would be possible, with
all parties misunderstanding the Nation
at large-being spared the heavy losses of
a strike.
AS for the Taft-Hartley law, it simply
empowers the President, at his own dis
cretion to invoke its injunctive machinery
In national-emergency disputes. It en-
powers him to set up board of inquiry
and seek court order banning a strike
or lockout for period of eighty days, after
which-since the board has no authority
even to make recommendations strike
or lockout may take place If no settlement
is reached in the meantime. This provision
which is a weakness Senator Taft him
self has tried to correct in the current
session of Congress definitely does not
preclude the type of setup Mr.. Truman has
proposed to meet the steel situation.
Under that setup, a three-man board
would hear both sides of the dispute-the
case for management and the case for
the CLOS United Steelworkers of America
After its hearings, the board then would
make its recommendations, which neither
party would be required to accept. Mean
while, for ia period of sixty days, there
would be no strike, and the industry could
operate in peace. The plan, on its face,
seems reasonable enough, even though
some have suggested that the President
has, hit upon it in the hope that he will
score ! success with it and thus be able
to tell the country that he has been right
oil to- i,aef $to& ref
injunctive machinery is unnecessary.
But If the plan failed, if after sixty days
there were no settlement, Mr.. Truman still
would have the power to invoke the Taft
Hartley Act and thus an additional eighty
days would be won for peace in the steel
industry, or a total of 40 days in all
enough time certainly to negotiate an
agreement. On the other hand, If the
injunction process were started now, the
truce period would be limited to the laws
eighty days-a point not to be overlooked
in evaluating the wisdom or unwisdom of
the Presidents move.
Be all this as it may, the question now
is whether an eleventh-hour compromise
can be worked out on the basis OF the
steel companies counterproposal to accept
the fact-hnding procedure If the board
involved, as In the Taft-Hartley machinery,
has no authority to make recommended
tions. Presumably, efforts to that end will
be made during the course of the day.
There is little time left. The strike is
scheduled to begin at midnight. Whoever
the holdouts may be, and no matter how
right they may be in principle, thy will
hay - e4r&c Sv. -,
explain themselves to public that has had
its fill Of Acknowledgement disputes Grip
pling the Nations economy.
Rome's Bon on Communism