The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-10-13
By NATHAN ROBERTSON

washington (LFA )-WlLnlI LHe
past two weeks the daily news
papers have almost completely re-
versed themselves on the issues in
the steel strike-showing clearly,
once more, that they can be trust
ed on a showdown to side with the
big economic interests.
When the Steel Industry Fact
Finding Report came out it was
hailed almost universally as a
statesmanlike document that would
settle the long and bitter dispute
in the steel industry. The union
quickly accepted the report, al
though that meant giving up two
thirds of it's original claims. But
the industry held out. By the time
the strike started most of the
newspapers had worked themselves
around to the position of support
ing us. Steel and denouncing
Philip Murray for refusing to ne
gotiate.
The newspapers are now doing
their best to befuddle the public
mind on this controversy and to
put pressure on the union to give
in. Friends of labor everywhere
should counteract the injustice of
the press by studying the issue
and making up their own minds.
1t is perfectly silly to accuse the
union of refusing to negotiate
when it is plain for all to see that
in accepting the fact finding report
it surrendered two thirds of its
original demands. In the beginning
the steel workers asked a total of
80 cents an hour, including higher
wages, pensions, and social insur-
ance. On the basis of the fact find
ing report they dropped their de-
mands for wage increase, and
agreed to compromise settlement
on pensions and social insurance
adding up to 10 cents an hour
just one third of their original de-
mand.
This is the essential and basic
fact in the controversy over who
is right, and who should now do
the conceding necessary to end a
costly strike that might start the
nation back into a downward econ
omic spiral. Industry has not yet
made half the concession-measur-
ed monetarily-that the union has
made. Industry and it's Charlie Nc
Carthys of the press are now try
ing to make the public forget that
fundamental fact by talking in
terms of ''great principles"
But there were great principles,
too, back of the steel workers de-
mand for higher wages. They felt
higher wages were necessary-not
only as measure of justice to the
workers in the face of the high
profits of the industry-but also to
avoid a national depression. They
felt that the industry was follow
ing the same high profit policies
that led to the depression Of 1929
and they felt that a great econ
omic principle was involved.
Yet when the fact finding report
came in, the union quickly con-
,eded this great issue in the hope
If reaching settlement and avoid
ng a strike costly not only to the
men themselves, but to the nation.
Even the conservative newspapers
u d d My began lauding the
craftsmanship" of Murray. 1t was
generally conceded that the union
lad made great concessions in the
of industrial peace.
The reaction of David Law
ence's publications, which are GER !,
ainly more friendly to industry
han labor, was typical. They fore
asst that there would be no steel
trike, because the remaining is
ues were not important enough to
trike about. They had conceded in
dvance that the industry could
ford concessions up to 10 cents 3
n hour in view of its profit posi-
on.
But as the big steel magnates ,
to hold out, the editorial 7
'riters began to find great prin- G
piles involved in the issue of con- G
'ibutions by the workers. They f
acked up the industry's demand {
lat workers should contribute part
the cost of social insurance
ven if it meant a cut in take S
ONE pay instead of the pay in n
ease the workers had demanded. u
In order. to make this sound like a
big issue, the newspapers had to
more the fact that the S75,CC0 a t
ear steel company executives get t
$4,000 year pensions without
toward them out of e
leir salaries-pensions paid for a
ltirely by the companies. Appar- v
ltly it is unsound for workers {