Evening star., 1941-04-01
7 Shot in Harlan
As Coal Mine
Picketing Starts
Milwaukee Police
And AIIis-ChuImers
Strikers Bottle
BY the Associated Press.

County, KY, today as pickettng OF
bituminous coal mines started while
negotiators in New York worked on
new agreement for the 100000
miners of the eight-State Appala-
chan region. The old contract ex-
pired last night.
A mine guard and man described
by officers as picket were shot and
wounded at different mines.
President Roosevelt continued to
keep tab on the threatened stop
page of production of soft coal in
eight Appalachian States. Last
night he urged speedy coal agree
ment.
At the end of a two-hour ses-
sion of the coal negotiators Dr.. John
R. Steelman, director of the United
States Cancellation Service, said for
both sides:
The conferees are working hard
on the subject before them
There was no ampliflcation, ex-
cepJ that the conference would re-
sumo once more later today and
that a reply to the President would
be sent tonight.
Coal Stocks Estimated.
The Federal Power Commission
estimated that steam plants which
generate electricity for the great
defense industries had fuel on hand
to keep the generators going IS
DAYS. In February the steam plants
used 4,446,l tons of soft coal and
at the end of the month had TO-
944, ,084 tons on hand.
New violence also flared at the
gates of the Allis- Chalmers Manu-
featuring Co. in Milwaukee and
police again used an armored
fortress to break picket ranks which
were trying to halt back-to-work
movement. Yesterday police shot
kissing tear gas from the car.
Police and deputies battled q
|
blocks along the Allis-Chalmers
main Office One officer was smeared
with yellow paint from a thrown
bottle. Several fist fights broke out,
after pickets cut trolley ropes on
three street cars hauling workers.
Two Shot in Harlan.
| Earl .1ones aholt 20 a mine guard.
was wounded at the Mary Helen
Coal Corp, as picket lines formed,
and at the Harlan-Central Coal
Corp. Frank Joyner. "a. described
by police as a union picket, was shot
in the leg.
Harlan Sheriff Herbert Cawood
| said he had arrested Bill Gibbs,
miner, and that Gibbs has admitted
shooting Mr.. Jones. The sheriff said
he took three pistols and rife from
Gibbs.
The Presidents telegram to the
Joint Appalachian Conference said:
Uninterrupted operation of btu
minous coal industries extremely i'm
portant. Suggest if necessary you
continue negotiations during Tues
day looking to satisfactory arrange
ment."
Even if the contract had not eX-
pired, hardly union miner would
have worked today. On April l each
year the coal company employees
celebrate their gaining of the eight
hour day.
For this reason, effectiveness Of
the work stoppage could not be
gauged accurately until tomorrow, a
regular working day-provided a
new agreement is not forthcoming
by that time.
81 Pay Raise Sought.
The union, headed by John l..
Lewis, is asking 81 day wage in
creases, a guarantee of 200 days
work a year. and paid vacations.
The Appalachian district takes in
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Vir-
ginia, Maryland, Eastern Kentucky,
Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee
States which produce three-fourths
of the Nations soft coal About
10000 miners in other States Gus
tomarily model their contracts on
the Appalachian agreement.
President Roosevelt's intervention
in the negotiations was measure
of the seriousness witt which off,
cial circles regarded coal mining
stoppage. Steel mills would be af-
fected vitally in short order. Some
Washington officials estimated that
bituminous consumers over the Ma
ton had an average supply to last
80 days.
Eight hundred U. M. w. miners at
Whitwell, Tenn, signed an agree
ment to continue working for the
Tennessee Products Corp, pending
settlement of the contract question.
Similar agreements were signed by
some miners in Kansas. Missouri.
Washington, Montana and Wyo-
ming
In Milwaukee policemen and dep
uty sheriffs battled crowd which