Evening star., 1939-05-07
Coal Deadlock
Persists Despite
Presidents Plea
SteeImon Reports
No Progress but
Reply Holds Hope
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. May 6.-President
Roosevelt intervened today In the
deadlocked bituminous coal contract
negotiations, calling upon miners
and operators to reach a workable
agreement promptly to end the
industry's worst shutdown in II
years.
He told them that their differ
ences in viewpoint" did not appear
to be insurmountable, and said 1.-The
orderly process Of collective bargain
ing should suffice to bring about
their adjustment"
Because of this" the President
said in telegram to DR.. John r.
Steelman, head of the United States
Department of Labor Cancellation
Service, Il urge that the present
negotiations with the Federal COM
missioner continue, and that all sit
down with the intention to reach a
fair, honorable and workable agree
ment in spirit of give and take.
Time is now important and agree
ment must be reached promptly"
Addressed to Committee.
While 1t was sent to DR.. Steelman,
an observer at the negotiations since
April Is, the message was directed
to the Joint Labor and Management
Negotiating Committee, which con-
tinued its seemingly fruitless ses-
sions today after being virtually
commanded by DR.. Steelman yester-
day not to abandon their efforts.
When today's negotiations ses-
sion adjourned shortly before pm.
DR.. Steelman again reported no
progress and once more stressed
the need of an immediate settle
ment." He said he would meet in
dividually with the operator and
union groups beginning at II am.
tomorrow and that another joint
meeting would start at pm.
The conferees. however, in a for
NAL reply to President Roosevelt,
held out the hope of an agreement.
In telegram signed by w. L. Robi-
son. operator-chairman of the stand
ing joint Appalachian conference,
and Thomas Kennedy, United Mine
Workers secretary and conference
secretary, they said:
With your message before us
and with q full realization of the
public interest, we will again make
every effort to adjust the matter on
which the conference is now dead
locked to the end that an agree
ment may be concluded as promptly
as possible"
It was the first time the Presi-
dent publicly had taken a hand in
the situation, although one of the
conferees said today Mr.. Roosevelt
had been in telephone communica-
tion with the negotiators previously
to determine what progress was be-
ing made.
1T is in the public interest, as
we'll as your own" the Presidents
telegram said, that you arrive at
such an adjustment. The public
interest is paramount and above
that of any group. AS President
of the United States, I caution the
negotiators on both sides to keep
this in mind and continue negotia-
tions until a speedy settlement Is
made. in justice to the two groups
in conference and to the American
people"
accepted as Command.
One of the negotiators said the
group seemed to accept the Presi-
dents telegram as a command and
thought it possible that the Presi-
dent would urge the fixing of a
deadline should there be a further
delay in coming to an agreement.
A short time after the reading of
the telegram. John L. Lewis, presi-
dent of the United Mine Workers Of
America &C. I. o. and chief nego-
tiator for the miners, released the
$50 members of the unions Policy
Committee, but gave no public ex-
planation for sending the men home.
Last week. when he summoned
them to New York, he said it was
his notion that the operators, after
weeks of negotiating, should be in
a position to know by last Tuesday
whether they intended to sign q new
contract, to replace the one which
expired March 81.
Approximately 100000 Idle.
Approximately 100000 miners in
26 States were idle as the negoti-
ators sought anew to end their diff
ferences, and while it was estimated
that soft coal supplies in the Ma
ton totaled from 21,0OO, 900 to 26,-
600 900 tons-a months supply if
equitably acknowledgements of
scarcity in many communities in
creased.
The Government had watched the
negotiations in the coal industry,
the Oldest collective bargaining
group in the country, since March
IA, when miners and operators
opened their sessions.
Almost from the start James F.
Dewey, Federal conciliator for 20
(SEE COAL, Page A-10)