U.S. Combines Pilloried

Northern Advocate, 13 August 1942, Page 3

U.S. Combines Pilloried

WASHINGTON, August 12. Two small steel firms testified before the Senate Committee that larger companies were forcing smaller concerns out of business by refusing them raw steel. John Hosack, president of Muhoning Valley Steel, and A. M. Oppenheimer, president of Apollo Steel, said their plants were operating at 78 to 65 per cent capacity, working entirely on war orders, but Republic Steel and other big steel corporations, which had been supplying them with raw steel for many years, now refuse. Both witnesses asserted that there is plenty of finishing capacity in the country, but full utilisation is prevented by large companies wishing to control the industry. Roosevelt Interviewed At a Press conference, President Roosevelt was asked many questions about lagging war production, particularly about the threatened shutdown of a thousand war plants because of shortages of materials. He replied that he would ask the Army, Navy, and Mr Nelson before authenticating the report of possible closures. A reporter: What would you think > of a union steward in a war plant who deliberately told a worked to produce less thafi a fair day’s work? Mr Roosevelt wanted to know who did that. The reporter replied: It happened in Flint and Muskegon, Michigan. Mr Roosevelt suggested that the questioner dig up facts and names, when he would look into the matter. Another reporter asked the President’s opinion of various wildcat strikes occurring almost daily, although opposed by' union officers. When Mr Roosevelt queried, the reporter replied that one occurred yesterday in a Pittsburgh steel mill. Asked if he had seen the War Labour Board statement that the treason laws might have to be invoked if jurisdictional strikes continued, Mr Roosevelt asked for further particulars. Asked about the West Coast conference on stabilisation of wages in aircraft plants, which fizzled out, Mr Roosevelt said he had. not heard anything of it.