Evening star., 1933-08-27
ASKSPOLLARD'S AID
IN MINE DISPUTE.
Commissioner of Labor Tells
Governor He Fears Addi.
tionaI Closing.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va, August 26.-Inter-
vention by the Governor in the labor
difficulties in the st. Charles coal field,
where $500 miners are idle, was urged
in communication addressed to Gov.
Pollard by John Hopkins Hall, jr., COM
missioner of labor, and made public to-
day.
Hall said he feared additional mine
cloSings in the near future unless steps
were taken toward mediation and urged
the executive to intervene in whatever
manner he deemed appropriate.
Responsibility for the closing of some
Of the mines was laid at the door of the
mine operators. From all the evidence
at hand" the labor commissioner told
the Governor, 1T appears certain that
the closing down of the mines referred
to has been brought about due to the
discharge of large number of the
former employees for joining the miners
union and their activity in connection
Herewith.
According to statements made" he
continued, lit will be noted that men
who have been employed by some of
these companies from S to over 80
years are discharged with the flinsy
excuse that they did not live in a COM
pany house, and other men of long
work was unsatisfactory"
Fired for Joining Union.
Mr. Hall said Roy Carter of St.
Charles had advised him he had been
discharged by the Benedict Coal Co.
last month for joining the miners
union and that five days later he was
ordered to move out of the coal COM
pany's house.
Carriers letter said, further, that he
then moved to his mothers home in
ST. Charles, which was owned by the
coal company, and that he again was
ordered to move. In his complaint,
Carter said that his wife had recently
been confined and was unable to be up
and about
The miner wrote the commissioner
that he had been employed since 1913
in the mine and that his work ap-
parently had been satisfactory until he
Joined the union.
From all the information this de-
partment has," the commissioner wrote
the Governor, ''it appears the mine en-
ployes of Virginia are organizing under
a guaranty of the national industrial
act which also urges the mine opera
tors to act as a unit in an effort to
stabilize and make more profitable the
development and operation OF coal
mines.
Asks Governors Aid.
Under the circumstances, 1t appears
to me that the proper method for both
sides to pursue would be to sit around
the table and seek to adjust their
grievances in conciliatory man
ner
Due to the fact that there is no
law under which this department can
act officially to compel the aggrieved
parties to mediate their grievances, !
suggest that you also use your good
Offices in urging mediation by ootn
miners and operators, pending the
adoption of a coal code which appears
to be about completed. I am sure an
effort by you in this direction will have
a most salutary effect on rather
tense and disturbing situation tending
to seriously interfere with our full co.
operation and support Of the President
in his program of national recovery.
Mr.. Hall said he had wired D: E.
Stanton. mine inspector. to proceed to
st. Charles and offer his services TO
both operators and miners in the role
Of mediator.