Evening star., 1939-04-30
Showdown Expected
In Few Days on Fate
0fCoaI Negotiations
Lewis Demands Thut
This Gilbert and Sullivan
Opero Cease

BACKGROUND
On March 81 the tWo-year bt-
luminous contract coDering MIN
ers in Appalachian soft coal fields
expired. Since April II, Uhen the
union rejected the operators
"fnaP terms, the negotiations
for neD agreement haze been
truitless.
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 29.-A show
down that may bring either peace or
war between the United Mine Work
ers and the coal industry was ex-
pected within a few days as John l..
Lewis called today for this Gilbert
and Sullivan opera to cease" and
operators framed new compromise
proposal in an effort to break the
deadlock in labor contract negotia-
tions.
AS the U. M. w. president sum-
moned his Policy Committee back to
New York, observers at the stale
mated negotiations for the soft coal
industry predicted a break in the
jam that has tied up more than
5000 mines and kept 338 900 miners
in the Appalachian area idle since
April l.
A showdown was expected to come
before next Thursday and Friday.
when the work. -stoppage will extend
! to an additional 10000 miners in IA
outlying States.
The union has given the required
| IS days notice and unless it is coun-
termanded by the Policy Committee,
representing all the union districts
in the soft coal region, the most
complete stoppage of soft coal pro-
duction in the Nations recent his.
tory will take effect May 4 or 5.
At Loggerheads for Weeks.
For weeks the four operators and
four mine union officials in the Bilt-
more Hotel conference have been at
loggerheads.
Meanwhile. the reserve supplies
of the industry's industrial con-
sumers have dwindled, some to the
vanishing point. A critical situa-
ton has been predicted within an
other week, and reports of distress
among the unemployed miners have
grown.
The first suggestion of any change
| in the situation came after DR.. John
r. Steelman. the Federal Labor
Departments chief conciliator. had
taken charge of the negotiations.
After Mr. Steelman, sent here by
Secretary Perkins. had talked with
the negotiators for three days the
operators went to work to make
complete redraft of its peace pro-
posal in the hope it might first win
the approval of their conferees, and
secondly prove acceptable to the
U. M. w.
Lewis Belabors Operators
From a reliable source it was
learned the peace endeavors had
been spurred by the Government
mediator. coal consumers ard or
orators and by hints that the u. NJ.
| w. might insist on wage increases
or other demands which they had
previously yielded.
Today, after the JOINT conference
again recessed to give the operators
additional time to refralno the peace
proposal to fit the contract, MIR.
Lewis told newspapermen he had
summoned the Policy Committee
because the union was "of the opin-
ion that this farce should cease"
BY next week he said, the operators
should have decided whether they
will OF will not make contract.
Mr.. Lewis added:
TT is time for this Gilbert and
Sullivan opera to cease and for
serious thought to enter the cp-
orators minds. This stop Lewis
drive never did develop more than
three-rabbit power. 1t is obviously
fizzling out
The negotiators spent exactly
a half-hour together today. After
ward, Mr.. Steeiman announced a
recess until 10 am. Monday Ito
give the negotiators further time to
work" Operators were expected to
continue their informal sessions
among themselves Between so and
| IS operators are here.
The wage negotiations in the an
! thracite industry, meanwhile, were
in weekend recess.