Evening star., 1951-08-30
Wage Board Returns
Copper Dispute 10
Truman After Failure
By George Beveridoe

Dy SSUtSe OeNSTtu9G
The Wage Sterilization Board
today handed the copper strike
back to President Truman, as
union leaders refused to call off
the walkout which has halted
most of the Nations copper pro-
duction.
The WSB stepped out Of the
controversy last night. apparently
despairing of hope for breaking
the f1ve-day-old strike.
A spokesman said the board
would report to Mr.. Truman to-
day on the effort which the Presi-
dent had asked it to make. The
board met with diSputants at q 90
minute hearing yesterday and
called a late night session before
announcing the matter would be
tossed back to the White House.
The President told his news
conference this morning that he
had not yet received the boards
report. Asked what the next
step" would be, he said he could
not comment until he had read
the boards findings.
Two Possibilities Open.
Two possible steps appeared
open to the President.
He could appoint a board of in
quiry to report to him on facts in
the dispute, after which court
injunction to halt the strike could
be sought.
Or, he could rule the walkout
is creating a national emergency
and order seizure of the mines and
smelterS, if he chose to bypass
court action in favor of faster
action.
Under the first possibility, the
board of inquiry would have no
authority to propose a settlement,
and the strike could continue dur
ing its investigation. Attorney Gen.
eral McGrath would have to wait
until the board reported before he
could seek a court injunction, un-
der the Taft-Hartley law.
Delay Called Dangerous.
Government officials estimated
it would take about 10 days to get
a court injunction, and warned
that such a delay might cut copper
Stockpiles to a dangerous level.
The Strike-idling some 100000
workers throughout the country
already has cut off 95 per cent
of normal copper production and
has cut heavily into output of
sulphuric acid, needed in refining
of aviation gasoline, and lead and
zinc. Key copper producers af-
fected are Kennecott, Anaconda,
Phelps-Dodge and the American
Smelling & Refinery Co.
Rejecting the WSB'S latest
back-to-work plea, Vice Presi-
dent Orville Larson of the Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers Union
told the board he couldn't assure
return to work unless a nego-
tiated contract settlement is
reached.
Later, he made clear the strike
would be called off if either the
Government seizes the mines in
volved or if a court Injunction is
issued
Split Over Ching Proposal.
Mr.. Larson told the wage board I,
1t would be possible to negotiate
a contract on the basis of a To-
cent an hour package" raise
proposed Monday by Federal Con-
ciliation Chief Cyrus S. Ching.
But management spokesmen
largely indicated such a formula
would be unsatisfactory.
The Ching proposal would in
clude an Scent wage boost, plus
increases to take care of such
benefits as paid vacations and
paid holidays. Wages now range
from $1.31 an hour for laborerS |
to $1.62 for miners.
WSB Chairman George w.
Taylor refused to allow the mine
mill officials to discuss the merits
of the wage demands in face of
the refusal to return to work.
Representatives of a number of
other unions, which have re-
spected picket lines, told the board
they were not on strike.
WSB Efforts Decried.
After the board hearing, John
r. Clark, mine-mill union presi-
dent, read a statement to re-
porters saying the union does not
intend to have it's bargaining
done for it by the WSB. "Espe-
cially since our sworn enemies are
a part of it we don't intend