Evening star., 1949-10-26
u. 5. MayApp|y
.TaftActtoMines,
Avoid lion Steel
Coal Strike Is Viewed
As Greatest Threat;
Injunction Considered
SOFT COAL STOCKS Here Sufi-
cient for 30 to SIS Days. Survey
Indicates. Page Al.
By jones Y. Newton

Oy JOiuSS J.. l<SWtOH
| Federal officials indicated today
that a Taft-Hartley Act injunc-
ton may be used to halt the long
soft coal strike, but they said
there was no sentiment to employ
the courts to end the steel indus
try shutdown.
Government strike strategy was
plotted at a White House meeting
yesterday with John r. Steelman.
presidential assistant. The opin-
ion of the officials was that the
38-day mine stoppage posed the
graver threat to the Nations econ.
omy, and would be much moro
difficult of final solution than the
26-day steel strike.
A decision was made to con-
centrate settlement efforts on
steel and use the big Taft-Hartley
club on John L. Lewis United
Mine Workers if the strike con-
tinues much longer.
Charles G. Ross, White House
press secretary, said: Il do not
anticipate any action today" when
reporters asked about possible
presidential intervention in either
of the big strikes.
No Comments on Plea.
! How about tomorrow" Mr..
Ross was asked. He replied he
could only speak for today and
would have to wait until tomorrow
for whatever may be in sight al
that time. He had no comment on
a request by the American Retail
Coal Association for the President
ito take immediate steps to end
the coal strike
A ray of hope for peace en-
tered the steel picture with the
suggestion of an industry official
that strike compromise is pos
sible. The hopeful remark was
made by Chairman Irving S. Olds
Of the United States Steel Corp.
after board meeting in New
York yesterday.
Mr.. Olds pointed out that nei-
ther his corporation nor the strik-
ing CIO United Steelworkers has
made move to resume negotiaS
tiuns since the strike for free
pensions and insurance began Oc-
tober /.
1T seems to me-" he said, the
sensible thing would be to sit down
and see how far we could get
toward agreeing on a pension pro-
gram. We might even reach some
common ground on contributory
and non-contributory features"
Ford Formula Considered.
He indicated the amount Of
monthly pension payments and
the insurance benefits might pro-
vide a basis for bargaining. That
approach has never been made,
he said, because of disagreement
, over another matter.
The Ford Motor Co. used that
formula in reaching agreement re-
; Gently on pensions with the CIO
United Auto Workers. Ford
agreed to supplement Federal old
, age benefits SO that retiring
t workers would receive 500 MONTH
ly. In that way some Of the fear
of employers that pension pay
: ments would be raised in future
negotiations is relieved.
United States Steel has agreed
to initiate pension and insurance
payments up to 10 cents a worker
, per hour, but insists that workers
must contribute also. Philip Mur-
ray, head of the CIO and the Steel
Workers, is adamant that the
, companies must bear the whole
cost of the benefits.
Ching to Open Parleys.
: Mr.. Olds said it was that ques-
ton which has blocked consider
} alton of actual size of the benefits.
At least partially because Of
Mr.. Olds' hopeful statement, Cy-
rus S. Ching. Federal mediation
! chief, left at noon to resume
settlement conferences with United
States Steel in New York.
Mr.. Ching had met with big
Steel" for several days, the talks
ending Monday. He conferred for
five hours here yesterday with the