Letter from Representative Herman Eberharter to John R. Steelman

steel fice At HERMAN P. EBERHARTER ASSISTANT DEMOCRATIC WHIP PENNSYLVANIA 32D DISTRICT COMMITTEE: WAYS AND MEANS PITTSBURGH: 1306 BERGER BUILDING Congress of the United States House of Representatives FILED BY DR. STEELMAN Washington, D. C. JUL 2 9 1952 the mise E March 18, 1952 Honorable Roger L. Putnam x 2900 mise Administrator, Economic Stabilization Agency Washington, D. C. My dear Mr. Putnam: # The threatened steel strike is giving much concern to me, as well as to all other Members of Congress and the general public. The position of the steel industry is that its financial position does not permit it to absorb wage increases without at least a partially compensating price increase. Of course their position has been presented in detail to the proper governmental agencies. I have been impressed by the representation made to me that the Economic Stabilization Agency does not propose to take into account any allowance whatsoever of any accelerated depreciation which may have been granted by the National Production Authority. This appears to me to be denying to the recipients of these depreciation certificates the benefits which were to accrue in order to encourage large constraction of much needed additional facilities. Perhaps I am wrong in feeling that commitments which were made for purposes of debt service may have to be defaulted. If this is true, a serious setback to production of defense items would necessarily occur. I do hope that the Economic Stabilization Agency, in cooperation with the Office of Price Stabilization, will arrive at a fair conclusion which will prevent the serious effects of a strike in the steel industry. Yours very truly, WOR MEMBER OF CONGRESS