Labor Dispute in the Grain Industry Statement by the President.

The dispute between the American Federation of Grain Millers and the grain companies, now entering its seventh week, is a matter of great concern to me. The farmers, who are not a party to the dispute, but whose livelihoods are so deeply affected by it, have no satisfactory alternative means of getting their product to market. With the peak harvest season now upon us, the importance of an early agreement is evident.

I have directed that Secretary Bergland and Secretary Marshall monitor the situation closely and report regularly to me. I have also directed that the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service provide whatever assistance will facilitate the strike's prompt settlement.

This evening I will meet in St. Paul with Governors Link of North Dakota and Quie of Minnesota to discuss the strike and its effect on the upper midwest.

But there should be no doubt about my own views concerning the best way to resolve this strike. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that the process of free collective bargaining is the best method for resolving disagreements between labor and management. In exercising their rights under that process, the parties to a dispute have a special responsibility to recognize and consider the hardships their actions are imposing on others. I urge the Grain Millers and the companies to work conscientiously with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to achieve an early, equitable settlement to this dispute.

In this situation, it is clear that such a settlement can occur if the local parties, who are the most sensitive to local problems and needs, are allowed to continue negotiating together. Although the impact of the strike is causing hardship in this area, the stringent legal test of Taft-Hartley requires a demonstration of danger to the health and safety of the entire Nation. That strict requirement now effectively precludes the use of this remedy.

I am confident that the Grain Millers and the companies will act responsibly and in the Nation's best interest in attempting to resolve this strike promptly and fairly.