Evening star., 1943-04-30

The UNIV always has taken the DO
sition that they never work without
a contract, and Mr. Lewis has said
during the wage negotiations which
began early last month that in the
absence of an agreement the miners
would not trespass on mine prop
erty.
The message said in part that the
War Labor Board would and could
not do other than to apply its fixed
mathematical measuring device to
the existing wage structure of the
bituminous coal industry, and deny
our every request
I'VE maintain" the message as
serted, that such a conclusive ac-
ton conceiVably would not be a
decision based upon the equities OF
the miners case. Admittedly it is
in contravention of the very prin-
ciples of equity and Justice upon
which American justice is predi-
Gated and which makes of our
courts the great free institutions
they are.
TT turns a deaf ear to the pleas
of half million of Americas S finest
industrial soldiers and their several
million dependent wives and chill
dren who daily find their living
standards being lowered to the point
OF despair by mounting prices of
foodsuuffs and the essentials of
life"
Will Use All Power.
Mr.. Roosevelt told the UNIV that
the mines must be in operation Oh
Il shall use all the power vested in
me AS President and commander in
chief of the Army and Navy to pro-
tect the national interest and to
prevent further interference with
the successful prosecution of the
war"
Should the mines close down, many
courses seem open to Mr.. Roosevelt,
varying from military picket lines
to martial law, but there was no in
timation Of what the White House
actually proposed to do.
The miners made clear they are
waiting for a clue from Mr.. Lewis.
In West Virginia. union officers
said sentiment among the men Is
with Mr.. Lewis and unless something
happens the mines will close down
at midnight tonight" Many of the
Mountaineer States 10000 miners,
it was said. will leave work re-
luctantly, but nevertheless they will
leave unless their chief goes along
with the White House order.
In Ohio coal mine operators pre-
dicted that all the States 10000 soft
coal miners would join shortly in
the walkout, which sprang from a
dispute over what wages should be
provided in contract succeeding
the one expiring at midnight to-
night.
43-Day Supply Above Ground.
The Solid Fuels Administration, in
its latest report. said there was a
43-day supply Of soft coal above
ground March /. Railroads aver
aged a 26-day supply, with some
Central and Western carriers having
only enough for II days. Steel mills
averaged 29 days supply, but some
steel operators have said general
strike might cut operations 25 per
cent in the first week.
Along with the soft coal tie-up, a
shutdown of the anthracite work.
ings in Pennsylvania is threatened
at midnight. The hard coal miners
whose contract also is expiring, are
making the same demands as the
soft coal diggers-s2 more a day.
pay for all time spent underground
and right to unionize miner super
visory officials. About 10000 men
are employed in the anthracite fields
New York conferees on the an
thracite dispute delayed resumirg
their meeting today until after the
UNIV policy group has met. The
conferees admitted yesterday thai
both sides were in general dis
agreement" on all issues involved in
the hard-coal row.
One Bright Spot.
The only bright spot in the coal
picture was the announcement that
the Progressive Mine Workers of
America, affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, would stay
On the job. While this group had
I