Evening star., 1936-01-29
1,700 Delegates Cheer Guf.
fey's Pledge of Fight
to Finish.
UNION REAFFIRMS
3O.HOUR-WEEK STAND
Author of Coal Stabilizing Legis.
lation Predicts Another Bill if
Present One Is Upset.
BY ]. A. FOX.


lea today voted to support legislation
to curb the power of the Supreme
Court and then heard Senator Guffey
Democrat. of Pennsylvania, author OF
the bituminous coal stabilization act.
which bears his name, promise to press
for another law If this one is inval-
dated by the court.
Guffey. an ardent worker in behalf
of the miners, was wildly applauded
by the 100 delegates in Constitution
Hall, and demonstration likewise
was accorded Representative Snyder,
also Pennsylvania Democrat. who
pushed the coal bill through the
House
Guffey told the miners minority"
of our operators are now fighting the
coal act In the courts, and that while
he could not forecast the decision of
the Supreme Court in this litigation.
he hopes and believes it will be favor
able.
Pledges Fight Ia Finish.
"If anything needs regulation on a
Nation wide basis, the bituminous
coal industry is an example," he as
serted. Should the Supreme Court
declare this act unconstitutional, l
promise you so far as ! am concerned,
that the battle will continue"
He explained that new legislation
would be introduced. adding as cheers
broke into his speech, Il am in this
fight to the finish"
Guffey said that he was reared in a
mine region, and it was to cure the
"deplorable conditions" he knew ex
listed in this industry that he started
working on coal legislation.
Outlining the passage of the meas
ure through Congress, he was cheered
when he spoke of the support of Pres
ident Roosevelt. who had told Con-
gress to put through this legislation
despite any fears that might be felt
as to its oonstitutionality
In voicing support for legislation
designed to restrict the powers of the
Supreme Court, the convention adopt
ed committee report based on rec
ommendation from its national off,
GERS.
Need Of Curb Cited.
THE all-powerful position which
the Supreme Court judges occupy in
matters affecting the welfare of the
people, and this august tribunals re-
cent decision loon questions affect
ing the power II Congress to allie
viate distress emphasizes the need of
legislation which will enhance the
opportunity of the people to secure
legislation of beneficial nature with
out fear Of constitutional inhibition
on the part of the Federal courts" the
committee report said.
The convention also reafiirmed the
attitude of the miners in favor of
a 6-hour day and a 30-hour week
in this industry. and also in industry
as a whole. Concurrently, the support
of the International Union was
pledged to the anthracite miners,
who will seek to have this hour
schedule embodied in their new con-
tract for which negotiations will begin
with the operators in New York the
middle of next month. The anthra-
cite scale is on an eight-hour six-day
basis now and expires on March 81
after being in existence for five years.
Six-Hour Day to Be Pressed.
The action of the convention on
the anthracite issue means that the
six-hour day will be asked by the
bituminous workers. who are now on
a seven-hour day an whose contract
has until March 81, 1887, to run.
The convention voted also to support
the officers in their campaign for lib
eralization cf the social security legis-
lation. Thomas L. Kennedy, secre-
tary-treasurer of the mine workers,
who also is Lieutenant Governor of
Pennsylvania, explained that while Of
ficials of the union feel that the vari-
GUS social security enactments consti-
tute a step in the right direction, they
should be liberalized and the "cost
should be borne by those best able to
meet the cost"
In voting on recommendations made
in the report of the officers, the con-
vention ohviated a need for action on
many of the hundreds of resolutions
brought in by constituent lodges
(See MINERS. Page g.