Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
Lewis Says Owners
Delay Six-Day Week
In Soft Coal Fields
Reply to Ickes Says
Extension Could Be Put
In Effect This Week

By the Associated Press.
John L. Lewis, chief OF the
United Mine Workers, today
blamed mine operators for the
dispute which Solid Fuels Ad-
ministrator Ickes said was de-
laying extension Of the six-day
week In the Eastern soft coal
fields.
Mr.. Ickes, asserting the Nation
needed IAN unprecedented amount
of coal to speed the winning of this
war" called on Mr.. Lewis and Ezra
Van Horn OF Cleveland, chairman
of the Operators Appalachian Joint
Conference, to settle their contro-
versy and to act at the earliest pos
sible moment" to modify the exist
Ing contractural provision for the
five-day, 35-hour week in the in
dustry.
Mr.. Ickes, in identical letters to
each, noted yesterday that he first
made the request for extension OF
the work week September 20 and
declared that unless there Is I'M
precedented production of coal the
war will be prolonged at the UNI
necessary cost of human lives and
suffering"
Precious Time Wasted.
TN the interest of maintaining
the fuel security of the Nation"
Mr.. Ickes said, II shall expect both
parties to this controversy to settle
their differences at the earliest pos
sible moment. Too much precious
time already has been unnecessarily
wasted"
Replying by letter, Mr.. Lewis
charged the operators OF CONNER
cial mines in the Appalachian field
had banded together to resist the
further acceptance "of the six-day
week which he said had been adopt
ed by operators of steel company
owned captive mines and by COM
mercial operators in six Western
and Northwestern States.
Commercial mines sell their out
put on the open market while the
production of captive mines goes TO
the steel companies.
Mr.. Ickes called the failure OF the
operations and the union to agree
on the six-day week a distinct dis
appointment and reminded Mr.. Lewis
and Mr.. Van Horn that the Gov
eminent had offered to revise price
ceilings to make possible the pay
ment OF time and halt, pay for the
sixth day of work.
UNIV Responsibility Denied.
'You are wrong" Mr.. Lewis said
fatty, "in imputing to the United
Mine Workers Of America respon-
sibility for the incorporation Of
commercial coal mines in the APP
palachian area on q six-day week
basis"
ANY bituminous coal company in
the United States" Mr.. Lewis wrote,
"or any single coal mine can work
six days this current week. II they
chose to do so. They need only to
accept the same supplemental agree
ment as other coal companies now
operate six days per week"
Negotiations on the longer work
week begged down on the issue Of
whether the sixth day would be
voluntary or mandatory for the
workers. A mandatory provision
which the operators want, would
subject the workers to penalties for
absenteeism on that day.
In statement supplementing Mr..
Lewis letter. the UNIV asserted the
operators were "hopelessly divided"
on the question Of whether the
longer work schedule was necessary
because coal production in 1912
probably would reach a record
breaking total Of 5S6,000,000 tons.
This figure. the UNIV said, would be
within 100000 tons of Mr.. Ickes'
estimated requirements for 1943.