Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-24
Fuel Scan+,
Mines Work
5-Day Week
WPB Rallies TO 30 o st
Production AssaiIed
By PAUL MALLON

Mr.. Nelson SAID ne was
going to be a hard man. In
accordance with this policy, a
somewhat tough-sounding an
nouncement came out OF his
War Production Board Monday.
II pictured the nation on the
threshold OF winter. faced with
the prospect Of fuel shortage.
The announcement told what
Mr.. Nelson proposed to do about
II. Four big rallies will be held
for the miners in the anthracite
fields September % to October
I. Fighting heroes, freshly re-
turned from the battlefronts
across the seas. will appear to
tell the miners a production
boost is needed.
These gala affairs will be held
In ton, Wilkes-Barre.
Hazleton and Pottsville. spon-
sored by the "Army-Navy War
Production Board"
This was the encouraging pic
ture presented to the public,
and II seemed to be a forth
right one "a fuel shortage
and a patriotic appeal direct to
the miners to meet it.
A PENNSYLVANIA friend of
IA mine happened OF see the
announcement and sent 1t to
me with a note which told a
startlingly different story.
Here In an example of typical
meaningless ballyhoo," he wrote.
"As q Pennsylvania hard-coal
cracker, 1 know the mines arc
working only Ave days . week,
probably, In part because the
operators, like some of the
major oil company executives,
like the idea of rationing pro-
duction. If the government
wants moro production, why
doesn't IL make the miners work
six days . week."
1t seemed incredible. Nelson
tough. A hard winter ahead. A
fuel shortage that is the prime
subject of national discussion.
And the miners working a FIVE
day week.
I called the best coal authority
here and asked the explanation
of this obviously erroneous in
formation from my friend.
"Tt il true" this authority
told me. Its worse than that.
The mines are not only working
n five-day week, but q seven
hour day, q total Of IS hours q
week. And this il tho situation
not only In the hard coal re-
gions, but in the bituminous
fields rs we'll"
"How could that happen ?"
I asked.
"Well, John Lewis, the head
OF the union, will not let the
men work overtime, even upon
payment of time-and-a-half. un-
less there Il an emergency"
"Well isn't war an emer-
gency:"
"Oh, no. Lewis means the
kind of an emergency caused by
a fire In the mines, or q break
down, or something like that"
"Then why In heavens name,
or Roosevelt's, does the WPB
hold rallies: Why doesn't Il
tell the miners to 60 to work ?"
The answer came promptly:
"Mr. Roosevelt does not want
to tangle with Mr.. Lewis, who.
as you may have heard, runs
the coal industry. At least that's
my personal opinion.
1.-THE rallies are designed to
make the miners work harder
during their IS hours of work q
week and produce more coal
without lengthcning the work
week. I don't think IL will do
much good because production
already has stepped up to H.
100000 tons q week, which In
greatly above last year. There
is no shortage Of coal supplies"
HERE then is an entirely diff
IL ferent picture.
Mr.. Nelson tough -. big raj
lies where army and navy
heroes. who have risked their
lives at the front. 60 pleading
directly to the miners to in
crease production-but appar-
emily not the work week
The nation facing a fuel short
age so dire that Mr.. Ickes and
all the other government Off
Gals say citizens must court in
fluenza or colds and risk their
lives by keeping their houses
cooler. burning Is per cent less
fuel. and the miners, apparently
all hard and soft coal miners,
working a seven-hour day and a
five-day week.
But worst of all, the authori-
ties here, the tough federal au-
thorities, who are telling every
one they must sacrifice. who
have unlimited powers to put
some people out of business and
other people in business, and TO
make people go cold, so stultified
by the unions and Mr.. Lewis
that they have TO go begging
through proxies Of war heroes to
lessen the national want OF fuel.
II there are any valid excuses,
/ was unable to find them. The
only slim sign of an excuse was
the report that fuel stocks are