Evening star., 1951-02-17
Wages
Continued From First Page.)


Labor leaders were particularly
irked at what they called the
ignoring of their advice by the
Wilson Office in setting UP a pro-
gram for control of manpower
problems. They wanted the con-
troll of policy in that phase of
the mobilization program to be
given to Secretary of Labor
Tobin's department, where labor
feels it has better representation.
Instead. they said. Mr.. Wilson
arbitrarily" retained manpower
mobilization policy for his own
Office and has brought in Arthur
S. Flemming, a former civil service
commissioner. to run the program.
Just what the administration
will do in an effort to heal the
breach with labor was unclear
today.
Formula Up to Johnston.
1t was regarded as unlikely,
however, that any change would
be made in the Wage Boards rec
ommendation that pay increases
be limited to 10 per cent above
levels of January Is, 1850.
That was the formula adopted
by the public and industry mem
bers of the board with the three,
now resigned, labor members dis
senting.
The formula now is in the hands
of Economic Stabilizer Eric john
ston for action. His Office indi-
Gated that a decision on whether
to approve or disapprove the for
mula would not be made until
next week:
The three labor officials who
walked of from the Wage Board
are Elmer E. Walker, vice presi-
dent of the Machinists' Union,
AFL; Emil Rieve, president of the
CIO Textile Workers, and John
Murphy, vice president of the AFL
Bricklayers, who has been pinch
hitting on the board for his
unions president, Harry c. Bates.
The whole situation may come
to a showdown Monday when the
United Labor Policy Committee
(ULPC) meets again. At that
time they will decide whether to
withdraw labor's representatives
from all of the other defense
mobilization agencies.
They have, besides representa-
ton on the wage board, their men
in the Economic Sterilization Ad-
ministration, the National Produc-
ton Authority, the Defense De-
partment, the Labor Department
and other agencies.
UNIV Not Represented.
The only major segment of or
ganized labor not represented by
the labor policy committee is
John L. Lewis United Mine
Workers.
Last night the Wage Boards in
dustry members, Henry B. Arthur,
j. Ward Keener and Reuben Rob-
ertson. jr., issued a statement that
said!
THE urgent need for national
unity is not well served through
the device of crisis by walkout.
The Wage Sterilization Board
cannot function if, as the union
leaders seem to desire, it exists
only to rubber-stamp hunting
licenses for a higher, more infla-
tionary, sixth round of wage in
creaseS."
Earlier the Labor Policy Com
mittee made a long and bitter
attack, not only on the wage
formula as unfair and unwork-
able" but on the price control and
manpower programs and the per-
sonal leadership Of Defense Mobil-
izer Wilson.
Most Government officials be-
lieve that wage controls will be
ineffective, or at least less effec-
tive, if labor unions do not take
part in running the program.
Labor leaders go further and say
fatty that the workers will not
accept wage controls unless the
unions accept them.
Lewis Cheers Walkout.
If necessary, wage controls could
be administered by a single ad-
or by a board COM
posed wholly of public members,
but officials have not given up
hope of continuing the labor -man-
agement-public arrangement. The
War Labor Board in World War
II used this three-way system. and
walked out then but the
representative of Mr.. Lewis coal
miners. Mr.. Lewis never was rep
resented on the present board.
But he issued a statement yester-
day cheering the walkout.
The Labor Policy Committee
charged in yesterdays statement
that virtually the whole defense
mobilization program has been
to the hands of "a few
men recruited from big business. ~
The ccmmitte also charged that
the 10 per cent wage formula was
dictated by Mr.. Wilson.
A spokesmen for Mr.. Wilson
denied this. So did the three in
austry members of the board. who
said in their statement:
"At NO time has there been any
dictation of any kind to US by
Defense Mobilization Director
Wilson, or any one in his organi-
zation. by any industry associa-
ton, by any business firm. or by
any one at all. The labor men,
oers, in contrast, have stated they
acted as instructed delegates of
,he United Labor Policy Commit