The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-29

NCOutlHueu rom rage 1)
 to reject a percentage of coal mined by the men who work on Q tonnage basis.
 The mine reopening was delayed until Thursday, 1t was said, because that is the first Of the month. If the mines opened tomorrow 1t would necessitate making out com- plete monthly payrolls for just one days work and would cause consid- erable confusion. Also, 1t takes time to issue all necessary orders.
 Maintenance workers in mines of both tho Northern and Southern Appalachian fields were ordered to prepare them for Q resumption fo work at once. Railroads mar shalled thousands of empty coal cars to rush rew supplies of the vital fuel to steel plants and other defense industries whose stocks were approaching depletion.
 Southern operators acce pted without equivocation" last night President Roosevelt's formul a whereby they will reopen their mines, continue their negotiations with the United Mine Workers (CrO) and make retroactive the agreements which result. This formula, which the southerners had rejected on April 2l and again over the weekend when 1t was urged by the defense mediation board, had already been accepted by the north- ern operators and the union.
 None Too Soon
 The reopening came none too soon, industrial authorities said. Steel production dropped from 99.2 per cent of capacity Q month ago to e5 per cent last week, and will drop to 94.3 per cent this week. The latest decline will represent $500 net tons. It will be weeks before the industry can put back into op- erations the coke ovens 1t was forced to close and bring production back to Its previous peak, 1t was said.
 John L. Lewis, president of the union, promised MT. Roosevelt that the miners would return to work as expeditiously as possible and al- most all mines were expected to De reopened tomorrow. But full coal production will not be achieved be. fore Thursday or Friday and 1t VIII be next week before the railroads can start replenishing the depleted stocks of industry.
 | North Had Agreed
 The northern Appalachian oper. ators, who employ 250,000 men reached a tentative agreement with the union two weeks ago providing basic wage scale of $7 a day, Q $i @ day increase. The southerners had brkoen away from the Ap- palachian conference to establish Q separate conference, and offered an il per cent increase in wages less than the northern operators had granted, and increasing rather than eliminating the wage diner ential between north and south which the union had sought.
 By accepting the presidents formula, the southern operators agreed to the $1 c day increase, bringing their basic wage scale to $6.60 6 day and will continue to negotiate with the union on eliin- ination of teh differential and other points on which they are in dis agreement.
 Jones As Intermediary
 Secretary cf Commerce Jesse H. Jones, who also is head of the Re- construction Finance Corporation which has made loans to @ number of southern mines, acted as inter- mediary for President Roosevelt in conferences with the southern oper- ators yesterday. MT. Roosevelt de- voted himself exclusively to the dis pute, conferring with congressional defense leaders. At Ii p. m., the acceptance by southern operators was announced at the White House. L. Ebersole Gaines, chairman of the operators in the 1S southern Appalachian districts, telegraphed MT Roosevelt: "The undersigned, representing the 13 southern dis tricts which have not yet negotiated a wage agreement, accept your pro- posal without equivocation. We are ready to resume work immediately. Most respectfully yours"
 MT. Roosevelt-and Jones-suc- ceeded where the United States consultation service and the defense mediation board had failed. The president advised the southern op- orators that he was "yery ahppy" about their decision.
 q sincerely hope that in the in- terest of immediate continuance of national defense production the mines can be reopened at the