Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-01-04

STEEL
STEEL
!: !: Disputes End Hints
Pay, Price Increases
Continued From First Pag,

10 meet at 2 pm. tomorrow
In the Shoreham Hotel.
Speaks Of Cost Imitation
r. Conrad Cooper, chief ne
gotiator for the steel COM
panies, refused to comment d.
rectly on prospects for raising
the price of steel, which is a
key commodity in national
price indexes.
But he limited that the COM
panies will raise prices at least
a little. Calling on the union
and the workers to "join hands
in a united effort to improve
efficiency and eliminate waste"
he warned:
1.-THE degree Of such CO.
operation will bear heavily
upon the extent to which this
settlement may initiate steel
production cost"
His use of the word extent"
implied the cooperation by
workers will determine whether
the companies raise prices a
little or a lot.
Mr.. Mitchell announced the
settlement at a news confer
ence in the Sheraton Carlton
Hotel. after participating in
the all-night negotiating ses-
sion.
Haggard but triumphant, the
Secretary said the settlement
grew out of mediation by Vice
President Nixon and himself.
on instructions from President
Eisenhower.
Suggestion Accepted
Gas a result of these con-
ferences the differences be-
tween the parties were mar
rowed to a point where a
recommendation for settlement
was made by the Vice President
and the Secretary which was
accepted voluntarily by both
parties" Mr.. Mitchell said,
adding:
without the Vice President.
we would not have had a set
Element His influence. his
leadership and his prestige we're
very significant in the achieve
ment Of this settlement"
Mr.. Mcdonald and Mr..
Cooper appeared to acquiesce in
Mr.. Mitchell's appraisal. They
both commended the Vice Presi-
dent, Mr.. Mitchell and Presi-
dent Eisenhower for their as
sistance in working toward a
settlement.
The Vice Presidents role in
settling the bitter dispute was
expected to help his campaign
for the presidency. Mr.. Nit
chell's role can only promote
his unannounced bid for the
Republican vice presidential
nomination.
Price Rises Another Matter
But If the steel companies
blame the new labor contract
for price increases. the Vice
President and the Secretary
MAY have to share the onus.
In Augusta, Ga, elation over
settlement of the steel strike
developed the temporary White
House, the Associated Press re-
ported, although President
Eisenhower himself was off,
cfally silent.
The President, said White
House Press Secretary James
c; Hagerty. has stayed in very
close touch with the develop
n1ents."
Word of the settlement was
given the President by Mr..
Nixon in a telephone call.
Mr.. Hagerty said he has
done that by telephone since
Mr.. Eisenhower came to the
South for a working vacation
aSweek ago yesterday and in
personal conferences before
that with Mr.. Nixon and Mr..
Mitchell.
Mr.. Hagerty was silent on
what the settlement might
mean to the political fortunes
Of Mr.. Nixon.
+How would I know" he
parted when questioned about
this.
Strike Started in July
Today's agreement climaxed
negotiations under way since
last May. The union struck
july Is. The Government OBJ
tanned an injunction under the
Taft-Hartley Act, sending the
strikers back to work Novem-
bef 7 after a 116-day walkout.
The injunction was sched-
uled to expire January 26,
freeing the workers to resume
their Gripping strike. The ad-
mmistration was preparing.
legislation to block new strike.
but pressed almost frantically
for a negotiated settlement u
avert legislative battle in the
elsction-year session Of Con-
gress.
EagernesS for a settlement
evidently tempered the admin
istration's fear Of inflationary
pleasures resulting from in
creaSes in the price of steel.
President Eisenhower had re-
!:
A-SRR AA~S