U.S.A. WAVE OF STRIKES

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1945, Page 5

U.S.A. WAVE OF STRIKES

TRUMAN ORDERS OIL PLANTS TO BE STATE-OPERATED

(Rec. 9.50) NEW YORK, ,Oct 5 President Truman has authorised Mr. Forrestal (Navy Secretary) to take over and operate twenty-six strike-bound oil producing refinin' 1plants, says a New York “Herald Tribune” _ correspondent. He said the oil strikes so far have cost the nation 1,675 thousand barrels of petroleum products daily, or one-third of the total refinery capacity, and have reached a critical stage where essential military operations are jeopardised, and essential industrial and agricultural production threatened. He added: “Nothing will be permitted to stand in the way of adequate supplies of any kind for our armed forces, and their proper deployment and demobilisation.”

Informed circles say Mr. Truman plans to broadcast an appeal to the country to end the wave of strikes that now are interfering with an orderly transition to peace-time production. It is reported Mr. Truman feels that Organised Labour, to which he has always been a friend, has demonstrated its irresponsibility, and has let him down, and is seriously] handicapping the reconversion programme. Mr. Truman .said he believed he would have public opinion behind him in a demand for the cessation of strikes.