December 23, 1981

The International Trade Commission, in a unanimous preliminary finding today determined that imports of carbon steel plate from Belgium, Brazil and Rumania and carbon steel sheet from France may be causing material injury to domestic steelmakers through their sale in the United States at unfairly low prices. The ruling of the five-member, quasi-judicial agency, which deliberates over trade-related matters for the Government, permits an unusual complaint filed last month by the Commerce Department to go forward. The department, in the first trade complaint ever brought by the Government against foreign producers, contended that the low-priced, subsidized steel from these countries is causing hardship to the domestic industry, now beset by high unemployment, declining production and evaporating new orders.

President Reagan will not consider proposals for ''selective tax increases'' until early next year, his White House chief of staff said today. The move was a sign of the President's growing resistance to the urging of his advisers that he raise taxes to reduce budget deficits. The announcement by James A. Baker 3d signaled the postponement of a plan that his senior advisers had put together to present to Mr. Reagan this week. The plan included proposals to raise taxes by $15 billion in the 1983 fiscal year, which starts next Oct. 1, and by $30 billion in 1984.

FOR A WORTHY CAUSE: Jane Pickens Hoving, second from left, chairman of the Salvation Army's Greater New York advisory board, sang yesterday to help collect donations at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. With her were Joan Fontaine, left, the actress, and two former Metropolitan Opera stars, Licia Albanese and Robert Merrill.

More than a year ago, when the Solidarity movement was at flood tide in Poland, some 300,000 workers at 30 Silesian coal mines struck to establish self-governing trade unions. Their victory then, like the gesture of their fellow workers now holding out in at least two mines, was a symbol of the stubbornness of one of the most independent slices of Polish life. Now, only days before Christmas, most of the workers in the two mines chose to remain underground in the dark and cold, with little food and water, in private rebellion against the martial law that now rules Poland. ''It is the most effective form of strike,'' Richard T. Davies, a former Ambassador to Poland, said. ''As long as they have enough food and water, they are safe. They are not going to send troops down into the shafts.''

In Siberia, a writer steps into the path of progress A2 Druse families still meet in Golan zone controlled by U.N. A3 Syrian leader flies to Saudi Ara- bia for talks A3 Brezhnev says he still favors meeting with Reagan A4 Salvadoran rebel leader appeals for arms aid A6 Polish regime to relax curfew for Christmas Eve mass A8 Vietnamese Foreign Minister welcomes U.S. war veterans A10 Around the World A11 Catholics in Northern Ireland bit- ter about house searches A11 Government/Politics Bell criticizes Federal rules on colleges A12 Council leaders say plan could lead to elections in spring B3 State agency orders Consolidated Edison refund of $40 million B3 Washington Talk Briefing B4 Embassy row B4 A look at past and present White House Christmases B4 An Administration official speaks for cities and states B4 Energy Panel asks proposed diesel pollu- tion limits be delayed D16 General Ex-Nazi loses citizenship but is al- lowed to stay in U.S. A14 Ex-C.I.A. agent's business associ- ate arrested in Texas A14 Around the Nation A14 Five-year, $7.9 billion transit im- provement plan is approved B7 Health/Science Generic drug law upheld by New York Court of Appeals B3 The Living Section Food The nitrite question: What can you eat? C1 The seasoning of a three-star chef C1 A treasury of Dickens's drink recipes C3 The 60-Minute Gourmet C3 Wine Talk C7 Living Christmas spirit - on the family plan C1 Metropolitan Diary C2 Personal Health C5 Best Buys C6 Discoveries C8 Arts/Entertainment Marketing of films; right way and wrong way C9 Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra with Swiss pianist C10 Y Chamber Symphony presents Mozart and French music C10 Chic discovers there is life after disco C12 Hee-Sun Lee in oboe recital C13 "Hansel and Gretel" at Met C13 Richard Westenburg and Musica Sacra present "Messiah" C13 Features/Notes About New York B3 Sports People B9 Notes on People C20 Going Out Guide C12 Obituaries Allan Dwan, movie director B5 Sports Red Smith on Bowie Kuhn and his opponents B6 Pat Sheehan prospering in shift from skiing to golf B6 John Henry named horse of the year B6 76ers down Knicks, 112-105 B7 Islanders win 5th in row, topping Jets, 5-2 B7 Yanks close to agreement with Collins but not Jackson B7 Giants' unanswered question is availability of Van Pelt B7 B6 Jets' Ward has score to settle with Bills B7 Patriots dismiss Ron Erhardt B8 News Analysis John Herbers on priorities of state and local officials A12 Tony Schwartz assesses cable TV's present and future C8 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A18 The recession dividend Making coal pay for itself How ideology drowns charity Topics: space, time and mud Letters A18 James Reston: the old and new Jerusalem A19 Russell Baker: Red and dead as a doornail A19 Robert Pastor: for a Caribbean compact A19 Edward G. Rogoff: disserving taxi riders A19 Rusty Davenport: monitor El Sal- vador's border A19