Evening star., 1952-04-25
Fu|l-ScaIe Inquiry
NU. 5. Wage Board
Prepared by House
By jones Y. Newton

The House Labor Committee to-
day was preparing a full-dress
investigation of the Federal Wage
Sterilization Board, which recon-
mended the controversial terms for
settling the steel dispute.
An inquiry to determine if the
board is complying with wage con-
troll law was voted, 255 to 88. by
the House yesterday. Democratic
Leader Mccormack of Massachu-
sets called the probe IAN attack
on labor"
Representative Allen, Repub-
lcan, Of Illinois, the sponsor of
the inquiry, said it was "vitally
necessary" He called President
Truman's seizure of the steel in
dustry "tyrannical and illegal
action"
The Labor Committee was in
structed in the Allen resolution to
determine whether the Wage
Board had violated the national
labor policy" as outlined in the
Taft-Hartley law.
FeinSinger Welcomes Probe.
Board Chairman Nathan p
Feinsinger said in a statement:
Il welcome this investigation.
know the House Committee will
be fair and unbiased. An inves-
tigation so conducted should dis
prove once and for all any claiml
that the board has violated the
Taft-Hartley Act"
Mr.. Feinsinger has firmly de-
Tended the boards proposals for
a steel settlement. These call
for a three-step wage boost of
171a cents an hour. 812 cents an
hour in so-called fringe" bene-
fits. and the union shop under
which all steel workers would be
forced to join the union. +
Commerce Secretary Sawyer has /
indicated he would impose most
or all of the boards proposals on
the seized industry. He is Fed
eral boss of the mills under seizure.
But he may not act until next
week.
Differ on Price Rise.
The steel producers claim the
boards proposals would add $12I
a ton to, cost of producing steel. |
The Government has moved to
raise steel prices So a ton. Off
cials say that is all the industry
Is due under the controls law.
Mr.. Truman is considering seri- !
ously a full~public investigation of
the industry'S price claims. This
would be done by a public board |
to be appointed by the President.
There were several other inves.
legations under way in Congress
on the various aspects of the steel
dispute and seizure.
Defense Secretary Lovett told
the Senate Labor Committee any
prolonged stoppage of steel pro-
duction could result in tragedy
and disaster" The President
seized the industry to prevent
strike. The threat arose after the
producers refused to accept the |
wage boards settlement proposals.
Lovett Defends President.
Mr.. Lovett said he did not see
how any President "in a critical
time such as this could allow a /
major stoppage Of steel" q.
In other Capitol Hill actions.
the Senate judiciary Committee
continued its investigation into
legal aspects of seizure. And the
Senate Banking Committee sched-
uled another closed session in it's
steel inquiry.
Old-time congressional observers
were unable to recall a situation
when four congressional commit
tees all investigated the same SUBJ
ject at the same time.
In New York, Roger L. Putnam,
Government economic .stabilizer,
said in speech that steel indus
try could not be granted special
prices concessions without pulling
the stabilization program down
In rubble."
He said the steel industry can
stand a wage increase without a !
commensurate price increase.