455–3

Conversation No. 455-3

Date: February 22, 1971
Time: 10:39 am - 11:58 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and Ronald L. Ziegler

Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-Vietnam
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-President’s view
-Developments
-Laos
-President’s view
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-The President’s meeting with Rogers C. B. Morton
-Content
The President’s schedule

James D. Hodgson and George P. Shultz entered at 10:43 am; the White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting

[Unintelligible] Conv. No. 455-2 (cont.)

Unknown women entered at an unknown time after 10:43 am

Ladies of the press

The unknown women left at an unknown time before 10:52 am

Charles W. Colson

Wage freeze
-Responsibility of government
-Administration policy
-Hodgson’s view
-Hodgson’s meeting with Building Trades Union leaders
-Union position

Colson entered at 10:52 am

-Neil Hagerty [sp?]
-Davis-Bacon Act
-Alternatives
-John H. (“Jack”) Lyons
-George Meany
-Position
-Colson’s view
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 6m 54s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 Conv. No. 455-3 (cont.)

******************************************************************************

Wage freeze
-Davis-Bacon Act
-President’s view
-Cost/benefit analysis
-Effect of temporary freeze
-Union reactions
-Administration strategy
-Forthcoming contract negotiations
-Construction industry
-Business
-Settlements
-Opposition
-Administration strategy
-Union view
-Contract negotiations
-Davis-Bacon Act
-Construction industry
-Effect of suspension
-Hodgson’s view
-Colson’s view
-Wage Board/price controls
-Difficulties
-Union leadership
-Contract negotiations
-Meany
-Administrative position
-Davis-Bacon Act
-Construction workers
-Suspension of Davis-Bacon Act
-Administration policy
-Announcement
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-Pros and cons
-Effect on construction industry
-Non-union hiring
-Wages
-Shultz’s view
-President’s view
-Union changes
-Working conditions Conv. No. 455-3 (cont.)
-Effect on leaders
-Longevity
-Public relations
-Hodgson
-Prices
-Steel and fuel
-Effect on government action
-Compared with construction industry
-Ripple effect
-President’s position
-Governors’ conference
-Wage-price freeze
-Arthur F. Burns’ view
-Long-term effect
-Efficacy
-Congress
-Future problems
-”Goldstein” [Leon Greenberg] [?]
-Consumer prices
-Long-term effect
-Administration policy
-Temporary suspension
-Responsibility
-Government role
-President’s view
-Strikes
-Labor public relations
-Ziegler
-Settlement terms
-Northwest Airlines
-Questions
-Concern of working man
-Colson’s view
-Wage freeze compared with Davis-Bacon Act
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-Suspension of Davis-Bacon Act
-President’s view
-Subsequent actions
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Rationale
-Compared with other industries
-Hodgson’s role
-Labor/management cooperation Conv. No. 455-3 (cont.)
-Public statements by Administration
-Justification
-Government role
-Public reaction
-Effect on the President
-Public view
-Labor tactics
-Construction industry
-Garment workers
-Davis-Bacon Act
-Extent of Davis-Bacon Act
-Industry
-Construction
-Governors’ conference
-Visit by the President
-Possible statement
-Benefits
-Hodgson’s public appearances
-The President’s appearances
-Suspension of Davis-Bacon Act
-Reaction
-Burns
-Meeting with the President
-View of wage-price action
-Rationale
-Control of money supply
-President’s view
-Jesse Barton
-Reaction by the President
-Hodgson’s and the President’s action
-Colson’s role
-Necessity for wage action
-Public relations
-Davis-Bacon Act
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-Necessity
-Burns
-Forthcoming Quadriad meeting
-Steel settlement
-Impact
-Suspension of Davis-Bacon Act
-Effect
-Construction industry settlement Conv. No. 455-3 (cont.)
-Congress’ role
-Wage-price controls
-Economic health
-Administration efforts
-Burns
-View of Wage Price Board
-Davis-Bacon Act
-Effect on economy
-Compared to a tax increase
-Role of government
-Hodgson’s comments
-Public relations
-Davis-Bacon role
-Secretary of Labor’s role
-Possible scenarios
-Hodgson
-John T. Dunlop
-President’s view
-Burns’ view of wage and price controls
-Previous meeting with the President
-President’s position
-Leonard Woodcock’s view
-Public relations
-Political impact
-Colson’s role
-Focus on construction settlement
-Governmental spending
-Administration latitude
-Alternatives to action
-Efficacy
-Administration’s position
-Steel industry
-Response of administration
-Hodgson’s forthcoming testimony
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-Scope
-Press statement
-Ziegler’s handling of the press
-Timing of announcement by administration
-Ziegler’s role
-Possible Federal Register notice
-Use of Governors’ conference
-Comments by the President Conv. No. 455-3 (cont.)
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s reaction
-The President’s schedule
-Timing
-The Vice President’s role
-John B. Connally’s and Ehrlichman’s roles
-Revenue sharing
-Comments to governors
-Benefits
-Visibility
-Public announcement
-Impact on interested groups
-Hodgson’s comments to Executive Council [?]
-Reception

Ehrlichman, et al. left at 11:58 am