Evening star., 1941-04-24
Further Delays Feared
In Opening Coal Mines

In opening coal Mines
By the Associated Press.
Further delay in getting soft coal
mines back into operation was pre-
dicted today by coal operators and
the United Mine Workers.
Charles ONeil, speaking for
Northern mine operators, and John
L. Lewis, U. M w. chief, agreed in
statements at New York that certi-
fication of the dispute to the Ma
tional Defense Mediation Board by
Secretary of Labor Perkins could
only mean further delay"
Mr.. Lewis said Secretary Perkins
should have waited until the public
had "a chance to evaluate" the re-
fuSal of Southern operators to go
along with the union and Northern
operators.
Mr.. O'Neil spoke of "the great
and terrifying rapidity' with which
the coal supply situation was de-
teriorating.
Early Expresses Concern.
Stephen Early, presidential press
secretary, told reporters that 1T is
getting to the point now where time
is quite factor on coal" Incl
dentally a presidential trip to Warm
Springs, Ga, is being held up by
the coal situation.
Chairman Norton of the House
Labor Committee asked the House
Rules Committee today to pigeon
hole the Vinson bill, designed to re-
duce defense strikes, asserting that
1t was AN anti-labor bill"
Other important labor develop
ments included:
Ten thousand Southern Railway
Shopmen were reported by the
Knoxville Journal to have voted to
extend their work week from 40 to
48 hours. at the present wage scale,
to fill the gap in ranks of skilled
labor caused by the national defense
program"
Special Board Gets G. NJ. Case.
Gov. Murray D. Van Wagner of
Michigan named a special commits
sion to mediate a contract dispute
between the c. I. o. United Automo-
bile Workers and General Motors
Corp.
The Virginia State Corporation
Commission said at Richmond the
Southern Railway notified it that
40 local passenger trains in the
South might have to be suspended
to conserve its diminishing coal
supply.
The commission Immediately dis
patched kilograms TO Virginia mem
bers of Congress, calling attention
to the serious situation" resulting
from the work stoppage in the soft
coal mines.
At San Francisco a defense media
ton board plan for settling the IT.
day strike of A. F. L. machinists
against so San Francisco shops was
rejected. Harry Hook, business
agent for the local, said all but two
Of its 1900 members voted to reject
the board formula, which falls 21z
ceptst short of the unions s115 an
hour wage demand and fails to make
double pay provision for Saturday
work.
The strike has delayed defense
orders variously estimated from
100000 to s23,0OO,O ,OOG, and was
certified to the Mediation Board
after normal Labor Department con-
ciliation efforts collapsed.
The Cudahy, Swift and Wilson
Packing Cos. announced per cent
wage increases for more than 81 900
production and maintenance work.
ers in Chicago.
G. M. Truce Efforts Pressed.
With the unions deadline for COM
pletion of membership strike votes
| throughout the country set for mid
night tonight, Federal Conciliator
James F. Dewey pressed peace ef-
forts at Detroit in contract negotia-
tionS between General Motors Corp
| and the United Automobile Workers
Mr.. Dewey said the negotiations
were centered on wages. The union
demands 10-cent hourly increase
in a new contract, but Mr.. Dewey
said after last nights conferences
THE company made a proposal on
wages which was not satisfactory tC
the union, and there will be fur
ther discussion" He gave no in
dication of how far apart the con-
| fereeS were on this issue.
Walter P. Reuther, director of the
unions G. M. department, left by
plane for Washington last night
saying he would confer with un-
named officials and would return
to Detroit this afternoon. He had
announced that Is local unions COW
ering 25 plants had authorized a
strike. More than 100000 employees
in 81 G. M. plants would be af-
! fected.
San Diego Workers Strike.
The Building Trades Council in
San Diego announced today a strike
OF A. F. l.. construction workers was
under way at defense projects in
support of their wage demands. The
extent of the walkout, shortly after
8 a I'm. had not been determined, K
G. Bitter, council secretary, said.
The demands of $1,000 defense
construction workers were before the
Navy Department.
The workers, engaged in building
many million dollars worth of Army
Navy and marine housing, repair
| and construction facilities in the