Evening star., 1939-04-22
Two Steps Possible
For Federal Entry
In Coal Dispute
Might Offer Services
Of Special Mediator
Or Boord Of Three
By the Associated Press.

! by the Associated Press.
The administration, watching with
growing concern the deadlock in the
soft coal wage conference in New
York, appeared ready last night to
take some definite Intervention ac-
ton before Sunday.
With reports reaching the Capital
that the Appalachian coal operators
and the United Mine Workers
Union were making no progress to-
ward contract settlement, Gov
ernment sources said these steps
might be taken soon:
!. The appointment of special
mediator to offer the administra-
tion's services In helping the nego-
tiators reach an agreement.
2. The appointment Of a special
mediation board of three members
to try to negotiate an agreement.
1t was pointed out in Government
quarters that the administration
had not yet odicially tried to medI-
ate the deadlock. The Labor De-
partment, 1t was said, has had only
observers on the scene making re-
ports to Washington officials.
Mediation Board Possible"
Secretary of Labor Perkins told
newspapermen the mediation board
device was "a possible way" to deal
with the dispute, which has left
more than 100000 soft coal digeers
idle in the Appalachian field and
threatens to involve 125 900 more in
other bituminous areas.
The Secretary would not saw def
initely that the board device would
be used.
Meanwhile, in Congress and in
the American Federation of Labor.
the soft coal shutdown came in for
special attention.
Representative Martin j. Kennedy,
Democrat, of New York, inserted a
statement in the Congressional Rec
ord threatening to introduce a res
olution for an inquiry into the coal
shutdown.
Unless an agreement is made
very shortly, he said. Il shall intro
duce resolution in Congress for an
investigation which will expose the
real motives of the obstructionists
and place upon the heads of the
guilty parties responsibility for their
cruel and inhuman treatment of the
miners as well as the general public. !"
Ozanic Attacks Lewis.
Joe Ozanic, president of the A. F..
OF LIS Progressive Mine Workers of
America, made public through the
federation his demands that the
rights Of the progressives be pro-
tected in the event the Government
responds to commercial and politi-
car pressure to intervene In the
deadlock.
| In letters to Secretary Perkins and
the Senate Labor Committee, Mr..
Ozanlc attacked John l.. Lewis,
leader Of the United Mine Workers,
Tor insisting on either a closed shop
contract or the elimination of strike
penalty clauses in any new agree
ment.
The Progressive Miners is a COM
paratlvely new union set up in the
coal fields by the A. F. of L. to chal-
lenge Mr.. Lewis long time leader
ship of the miners.
Says Difference Is Slight.
Secretary Perkins said she thought
the difference deadlocking the wage
negotiations was slight"
1T Is SO Slight" she said, ut
would seem they would be able to
adjust it.
They (the union) have what is
tantamount to a closed shop. They
nave q check-off system and in ef-
fect any one who goes to work in
mine has to join the union"
One OF the reasons the admins
tration Is anxious to end the coal
wage dispute, she said, is that it is
holding up renewal of the A. r. of
L.-C. I. o. peace conferences.