Evening star., 1941-04-22
By JOHN c. HENRY.

By JOHN c. HENRY.
Intervention by President Roose-
welt brought a resumption today OF
labor negotiations in the strike-
bound bituminous coal industry.
Invited to the White House to
confer with Mai Gen. Edwin M.
Watson, presidential secretary, and
DR.. John r. Steelman. head of the
United States Cancellation Service,
representatives Of the Southern Coal
Operators Wage Conference agreed
shortly before noon to return to
New York City to continue contract
negotiations with officials Of the
United Mine Workers.
The Southern operators conferred
for almost three hours last night
with Gen. Watson, then agreed in
about 80 minutes this morning to
accede to the White House request
that negotiations be resumed.
The President last night issued
somewhat peremptory statement to
the effect that the mines "produc-
ton must be resumed, and prompt
ly" Today the Southern delegates
said their only agreement was TO
resume negotiations and that re-
opening of the mines would depend
on the turn taken in the bargaining
conversations.
Going to New York Today.
L. T. Putnam of Beckley. w Va,
spokesman for the flve-man deieEa-
ton of operators, said has group
would go back to New York this
afternoon and that a meeting with
John L. Lewis and other officials OF
the U. M w. may be arranged for
tonight. He said DR.. Steelman was
to inform Mr. Lewis of this decision.
I'VE have decided, on the request
of President Roosevelt, Mr.. Putnam
told White House reporters, ito go
to New York and negotiate our
problems with Mr.. John L. Lewis,
as representative of our employees.
We go as the Southern Coal Opera
tors Wage Conference"
Asked if northern operators, who
have already agreed to new con-
tract provisions with the U. NJ. w,
would participate in the resumed
negotiations, Mr.. Putnam said:
1T is definitely understood that
the northern operators will not
participate. 1t was so arranged
by the Government
Reluctant to match the contract
terms agreed on by the northern
| owners, the southern group here
tofore has insisted that any further
| negotiations be carried on in WASH
ington and with the northern oper-
atorS excluded Today's agreement
is compromise in that the conver-
sationS will continue in New York,
but the northern owners will not
be present.
Silent on Retroactive Plan.
Mr. Putnam told reporters the
latest offers of Southern operators
had never been accepted or with
drawn, but he declined to comment
in detail on whether they might
agree to make any eventual settle-
ment retroactive. He emphasized
that the only request submitted to
his group by Gen. Watson for the
President was that they should re-
turn to New York to continue nego-
tiationS.
Mr. Putnam said the Southern
Conference represents about so per
cent of yearly soft coal production
in the Appalachian region. The
Southern mines covered, he said,
produce about l50,O00,000 tons
per year and employ about 10000
workers.
Meanwhile, at the Agriculture De-
partment officials said that surplus
food bought by the Surplus Market
ing Administration was being dis
tributed among idle coal miners in
West Virginia and Kentucky.
Several" additional carloads Of
surplus food, officials said, were be-
ing shipped into those States to
meet what was described as an
emergency situation" These au-
thoritieS emphasized that the food
was being made available at the
request of State and local welfare
agencies and added that shipments
might also be made into mining
areas in Tennessee and Alabama.
In his statement last night, the
President said the mines should be
reopened Immediately" because
"the public interest demands it and
the public interest is paramount"
The Chief Executive pointed out
that coal supplies were dwindling
for vital defense industries, and as
serted that it was imperative" thers
be no shortage of fuel to keep de-
fenSe production rolling.
1t was the second Government ap-
peal for the reopening of the mines
since their closing, April l. Secre-
tary of Labor Perkins addressed a
request to the Northern producers
and the union last Saturday to re-
sumo coal production in the mines
which produce about SO per cent Of
the Nations soft coal tonnage and
employ approxima ately 250,OO0
workers.
Text of Statement.
The text of the Presidents state
ment follows:
while an agreement between a
ma ajority of operators and workers in
the bituminous coal industry has
been negotiated, there is still dis
agreement, with the union and one
group of operators on one side and
another of operators on the other.
The result is that mines, which
should be operating, are not doing
so and there is diminishing supply
(See COAL Page A-5)