Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-06
Roosevelt Considers
Moves 10 CurtaiI
Defense Strikes
Action Waits on Work
OF Mediation Boord
In Coast Disputes
Continued From First Page)

- lIldl lllC oOuU1lCll
producers eliminate the controver-
sial Accent North-South wage diff
ferential in favor of uniform rate
The board wants an answer by 6
pm Monday.
But in the Puget Sound lumber
workers strike, its demand that c.
7. O.s International WoodworkerS
of America accept proffered settle
ment terms was backed up by a
bristling attack on the lumber union
officials by c. I. o. President Philip
Murray, who also is a member of the
board.
While the board merely reaffirmed
its stand yesterday on the settle
ment terms and said it hoped prop
or understanding would lead TO
their acceptance, Mr., Murray sent a
personal message to the strikers call
ing on the INTO accept the terms in
the spirit of real unionism."
"ReprehensibIe Defamation"
A public statement issued by the
I W. A. president, o. M. Orion
Wednesday lambaSting the board
and its terms and calling its action
"labor-busting' was termed by Mr..
Murray as "a most reprehensible,
lying defama ton
The strike being Waged by 10000
I. w. A. members for a closed shop
and a general TIP cents an hour
wage boost, Mr.. Murray said, was no
longer directed against the employ
ers. but against the board
The board had recommended a
return to work on temporary basis
providing for wage increases and
union security pending a survey of
conditions IN the Douglas fir in
dustry.
Common labocers now receive 6712
cents an hour.
Late yesterday, Mr.. Murray sat in
with the United Mine Workers
Union leaders and the spokesman
for Northern and Southern soft coal
producers while Board Vice Chair
man William H. Davis disclosed the
boards recommendations for set
ting the coal wage dispute.
The agenCy's findings disposed of
the holly contested Accent wage
differential in favor of the Southern
producers by recommending its
elimination. This would mean a
uniform 81 day rate. The North
rate is $3.50
No Uncomfortable Burden Seen.
The added labor cost of from to
81 cents a ton represented by the
payment of an additional 40 cents a
day, the board said, would not sub
iect the Southern operators Ito an
uncomfortable competitive burden"
TT may be pointed out" the
board said, that while the to 3la
cents is a real addition to the total
labor costs of the operators in the
Southerly section, they will be pro-
tected by the provisions of the
Guffy Act against competitive price
cutting to the extent of at least
half of that added cost and perhaps
more
Under the Guffy Act, the Btu
minous Coal Division fixes minimum
prices at the mines adjusted on the
basis of costs.
The board said the added cost was
not sufficient in itself to have any
controlling effect on the competitive
situation between producers in the
Southern and Northern parts Of the
Appalachian coal field.
The agency said that 1T should
be remembered" in considering the
main points of the coal wage con-
troversy, that the producers of APP
proXimately 70 per cent of the Ma
tons soft coal tonnage already had
accepted the terms of a new two
year wage agreement with the
United Mine Workers Union.
The board approved the unions
request for paid vacations
Acceptance of Terms Urged.
In letter to the lumber strikers,
Mr.. Murray told them he had per-
sonally recommended to the officers
of the union acceptance of the
boards terms.
unfortunately. the officers of the
I. w. A, had refused to accept
these recommendations" he said
which are those not only of the
board but, also of the president of
the Congress of Industrial Organi-
cation
In their refusal to accept the
board formula, Mr.. Murray con-
tinued, officers of the !. w. A have
INDUCED in a campaign of mis-
representation, SANDER and abuse
contrary 10 all of the Well-defned
policies of the Congress of In
dustrial Organization. This
conduct indicates the lack of under
standing displayed by the interna-
tional officers of the I. w. A.
In statement released to the
newspapers yesterday" Mr.. Murray
added, Mr.. Orion, president of the
I. w. A, accused the National De-
Tense Mediation Board. if not di-
rectly, then by implications, of being
a labor-buSting organization.
This is, of course, most repre-
hensible defamation, for the very
simple reason that the statement
implies that Thomas Kennedy, sec
rotary treasurer of the United Mine
Workers of America, and Philip
Murray, president of the Congress
of Industrial Organizations. are en-
gaging in this kind of activity
Mr.. Kennedy also is member Of
the board.
Strike against Board"
Mr.. Murray said:
1T is the considered, calm judg-
ment, not only of myself but of al
other C. I. o. representatives who
are either members or ultimate
members of the National Defense
Mediation Board that the interests
of the l. w. A. will be better served
by accepting the recommendation OF
the board.
"A continuation of the strike
under existing circumstances is no
longer regarded as being directed
against the employers. but rather
against the National Defense Me-
diation Board
Concluding, Mr.. Murray reiterated
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