Evening star., 1941-11-19
President Requests
Firms 10 Tell Miners
They May Join Union
Also Suggests Status
Quo for CLOSED Shop
Or Arbitration
Continued From First Page)

to the last details. The timetable
calls for occupation OF the captive
mine centers within a few hours
after the necessary orders are issued.
However, informed quarters en-
phasized, there has been no final
decision yet to use the Army.
AS the suspense intensified in the
dispute the strike front presented
this general picture:
Captive Mines-Most of them
have been closed down, but a few
continued to operate with curtailed
working forces.
Commercial MineS.-The total Of
these mines tied up by sympathy
walkouts in Pennsylvania has
reached 81, including about $4,000
men. Some 5000 miners i'll 80 of
Kentuckys commercial mines were
ordered to quit work today in an
other series of sympathy demon
Strations, and there was a posslbll-
ity they might be joined by $500
from 25 other pits in the State. In
Vests Virginia the union prediction
was that all the $50 mines in that
State, employing 100000, would be
closed within 48 hours. Already
10000 West Virginia miners have
Quit the shafts in sympathy strikes.
Commercials Have Union Shop.
(The commercial mines have a
union shop provision in their
contract with U. NJ Wan ar
rangement under which all miners
must join the union after a pro-
bationary employment period.
The commercials employ more
than 100000 men. as compared
with the $4,000 in the captive pits
where U. NJ. w. is seeking the
same union shop clause. The
captive mines are so called be-
cause they are owned by steel
companies which use all their
output
Violence Two hundred State
troopers were ordered into Gary,
w. Va, after two men were wounded
Yesterday at one captive mine which
was continuing operations. Inde-
pendent union members there ap-
pealed to President Roosevelt for
protection so they could keep work
ing Sporadic clashes between
piCkets and non-strikers were re-
ported in Western Pennsylvania.
Steel production-Lack of fuel
forced the closing Of the third fur
mace in the Alabama district. At
Pittsburgh the Carnegie Illinois
Steel Corp. announced that because
Of the impending coal shortages ''it
probably will be necessary to stop
operations of six blast furnaces" by
tomorrow, reducing ingot production
by about 10 per cent Most steel
mills continued operating.
Legislative Moves.
Against this background the House
Labor Committee began considera-
ton of anti-strike legislation.
On the floor of the House. Chair
man Norton Of the Labor Committee
promised her group will continue IT
deliberations on measures to curl
work stoppages in defense indus
tries until bill satisfactory to
majority of the reasonable member
of the House is worked out"
| She was replying to Representa-
| tive Smith, Democrat. of Virginia
who in commenting on the current
sessions of the Labor Committee
served notice that this House vii
not stand for any legislation tt
block proper legislation"
The Labor Committee began its
study of the various strike-curblne
bills in executive session this morn
ing. following a conference Of con-
gressional leaders at the White
House yesterday.
Mr.. Lewis retorted yesterday tc
Mr.. Roosevelt's press conference re-
marks on the validity" Of the unior
officials stand, reiterating that hi!
original statement was the truth.
Mr.. Roosevelt authorized direct
quotation to emphasize his views on
the subject:
II want to make this point per-
fectly clear: That the Appalachian
agreement in all the commercial
mines stands just as it has ever
since it went into operation and that
no question involved in the captive
mines strike would affect the pay
or the hours or the collective bar
gaining recognition of the United
Mine Workers in any of the Appa-
lachian agreement mines.
Therefore, l do not think that
point A in Mr.. Lewis letter was a