Imperial Valley press., 1943-05-04
1T LOOKS LIKE A FARCE
AND a LEWIS VICTORY


Something looks and smells very, very
fishy in the coal mining showdown.
Ostensibly, this ring-battle between
President Roosevelt and Tough Guy
Lewis should he a One-round affair, with
the President knocking out the challeng-
er IN about the first minute and a half
of slugging The President has the
strength. stamina, and iron horseshoes
in his gloves
But something Is amiss Maybe those
punches aren't being pulled exactly,
although the ringside sports writer's are
inclined to hold their noses and make
odd grimaces Bull-bellied Lewis isn't
even putting: he hasn't even been hit
and he's qrinning all the time like cat
well-fed on political canary.
The prize-fight is in the nature OF
movie mystery at whose plot the reader
can only guess as the show proceeds But
guessing isn't all outlawed when view
inc a detective show, so we will take
movie show license and summarize THIS
show as It looks from this corner.
Round one-Act One
The history of this grudge battle Is
known to all. join L. Lewis wants pay
increases for the members OF his unlon
although their increased incomes already
approximate the allowances permissible
under the little steel formula
Rule of the land, as set forth by the
President, is that there shall be no more
increases over the little steel proVlSos
except in hardship cases. The rule OF
the land also is that all cases must be
presented to the War Labor Board Lewis
knows his case won't pass muster on
the hardship excuse because his miners
aren't 4 bit worse off than many other
brackets of labor So he refuses to ap-
pear or participate in the WLB hearing
apparently having some shrewd strategy
III his bonnet
Despite the law Of the land applying to
everybody, Lewis seems above the law
above Madame Perkins, above legal ac-
ton He Just won't go to court, though
everybody else in the USA is compelled
to do SO. And he gets away with It.
Round Act ? Smell No. One
The first fish smell lies in the ques-
tion. "Why wasn't Lewis forced to pre-
sent the matter before the War Labor
Board"
The Presidents own words about this
procedure from his Sunday night speech,
We're:
Tn accordance with the law, the was
then certified TO the War Labor Board the agen-
approval of organized labor. The members oi
the board followed the usual practice which has
proved successful in other disputes. Acting
promptly they undertook to get all the facts of
the case from both the miners and the operators.
"The national officers of the United Mine
Workers however. declined TO have anything to
do with the act-finding of the War Labor Board
The only excuse that they offer is that the War
Labor Board is prejudiced.
Again we say, WHY WASN'T LEWIS
FORCED INTO COURT BY LEGAL
ORDER!
That's Smelf No. One.
Round Act 8 Smells Nos. and
The plot thickens as the fight proceeds.
The whole matter could have gone on
smoothly if the War Labor Board sim
ply had proceeded with its case, arrived
at a finding (Which undoubtedly Is that
the miners are no more an exception to
the rule than anybody else), announced
that finding, and forced the miners TO
Why didn't the WLB do this? That's
scent No >.
Instead Lewis was allowed to lead his
workers out. Was he alone and devoid OF
any governmental cooperation or passive
assistance in figuring out that If govern
ment could be forced to take over, then
there would be NEW EMPLOYER with
whom it WOULD BE NECESSARY 10
.ATaT- - A a