Evening star., 1941-11-23

Federal Shipbuilding & Drydo
will be the passing of Mr.. Davis
horse trading mediation board"
With the miners returning to work |
and the controversy well on the |
road to Just settlement" he added,
the country can feel treasured as |
to its supply of coal for national
defense and all domestic usage
Davis Answers Criticisms.
Mr.. Davis replied to Mr.. Lewis |
criticisms by borrowing from Shake
speare.
Methinks the lady doth pro-
test too much,'" he said.
Mr.. Davis added that the arbl-
tration plan which Mr.. Lewis ac-
cepted was proposed by the board
last October "a and was rejected
by the U. M. w. head.
At that time, as an alternative
to final acceptance of the Media
ton Boards decision in the case.
the board suggested that the dis
puldllIS dSiCC " dNAN Nv ca AoAS+ ''--OAA
by three-man joint board COM
posed of a u NJ w. representative, a
steel company representative and a
third member to be named by the
other two.
The climax to the coal dispute
followed weeks of controversy be-
tween labor and industry and re-
peated efforts of the Government to
make peace.
After signing contracts several
months ago with the commercial
producers of coal, the union under
took negotiations with the steel men
who own the captive mines. Agree
ment was reached that the wage.
hour and other features of the COM
mercial contracts should be incor-
porated in a contract with the cap
tive mine owners.
Steel Men Baked.
But when Mr.. Lewis insisted that
a union shop clause also should be
inserted, the steel men baked. While
the union has 95 per cent mem
bership in the captive mines, the
steel men said they were unwilling
to force the remaining per cent
into the union.
A three-day walkout ensued, which
ended with the submission of the
dispute to the Defense Mediation
Board. At the same time, Mr.. Lewis
gave notice that unless the board
reached decision by November Is,
the strike would be renewed.
Well before Mr.. Lewis deadline,
the board voted 9 to 2 against the
union shop. The c. l. o. S two board
members, Philip Murray and Thomas
Kennedy. resigned from that agency
All other members of the board,
including the two A. F. L. members.
had voted against them. The strike
was renewed.
Mr.. Lewis contended he could not
accept an "open-shop contract" in
the captive mines without invali-
dating the unions contracts with
the commercial mines. Mr.. Roose-
velt said this was an invalid point
Mr.. Lewis also argued that the Of
fcers of the union had no authority
from the membership to accept any
thing less than a union shop.
On Wednesday, Mr.. Roosevelt
asked that the union and the cap
tive mine operators agree to follow
one of two courses: hold the union
shop controversy in abeyance for
the duration of the national emer-
gency, or submit the issue to arbi-
tration.
Both Suggestions Rejected.
On his own behalf, Mr.. Lewis
promptly rejected both suggestions.
He repeated his assertion that he
had no authority to accept an open
shop. and as for arbitration, he add
ed. in a letter to the President:
Even if the mine workers repre-
sentatives possess the authority to
leave the question of the union shop
to the arbitrament of an umpire,
it is obvious that a judicial decision
based upon the logic and merit of
our contention would be difficult,
under existing circumstances. Your
recent statements on this question,
as Chief Executive of the Nation,
have been so prejudicial to the claim
of the mine workers as to make un-
certain that an umpire could be
found whose decision would not re-
fleet your Interpretation of Govern
ment policy, congressional attitude
and public opinion"
However, he told the President. an
n%oio1 rop1y urnll1I 1,ouo RI onoit
yesterdays meeting of the Policy
Committee. There followed Mr..
Roosevelt's final letter to Mr.. Lewis
and the Policy Committees surpris-
ing decision to accept arbitration.
Rail Parleys Renewed.
The Presidents step toward set
tlement of the railroad dispute came
yesterday in a renewal of conversa-
tions with representatives of rail-
road labor and management and
with Government advisers. Agree
ment of the parties involved to re-
sumo direct negotiations, twice dis
continued, was reached during the
White House conference.
Meeting with Mr. Roosevelt yes
terday were Solicitor General
Charles Fahy, Senator Mead of New
York, Chairman Joseph Eastman
of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, Chairman David j. Lewis
of the Mediation Board, John j.
Pelley and Robert V. Fletcher of
railroad management, and George
M. Harrison and Alvaney Johnston
of railroad labor.
The five operating brotherhoods
have voted a strike on December
in rejection of a temporary 71a per
cent wage increase. The IA nom
operating unions have spurned a
1914 per cent wage increase but