Evening star., 1943-11-04
Coal Price Increase
Certain, Ickes Says, as
Miners GET Pay Raise

The wage increase given to the
United Mine Workers of America tC
settle their three-week -old strike
necessarily" will mean an increase
IN the price of coal to the consum-
ing public, Secretary of interior
Ickes today told press conference
but he was not certain what this
added cost would be.
That matter. Mr.. Ickes said. is
now being studied and he will very
likely petition the Office of Price
Administration for an advance.
When the bituminous industry
was put on slX-day week several
months ago, the OPA at Mr.. Ickes
request granted an increase that
ran from l3 TO IA cents a ton.
Reached Agreement.
The Interior Secretary. who is also
fuel administrator. worked out an
agreement last night with John L.
Lewis and the Policy Committee of
the UNIV under which the miners
Will get Sl,50 daV more on the
basis Of an hour and a half increase
extension Of the working day. Their
present basis now is 81 for seven
hour day.
The agreement provided for
il2l2 per day previously approved
hV the Nap ohnr vi
cents that is given to the miners in
return for their cutting their 30
minute lunch period to Is minutes
The WLB still must approve the
new agreement which finally recog-
nlzes the principle of underground
travel pay for which the miners
have been contending. Mr.. Ickes
had not heard from the board This
morning.
The fuels administrator looks on
this lunch-tlme revision as the key
stone OF the new agreement. He
explained that it will increase
bituminous production by 10000 900
tons annually and anthracite by
100000 tons. He declared that
this added production fully iustifies
the increase in wages He went
further and said that he would talk
TO the miners about working 10
hours a day if possible.
Wouldn't Explain Details.
He said he believed that the wage
agreement falls within the princi-
piles Of the Little Steel" policy
which governs the administration S
stablllzatlon program.
Mr.. Ickes declined to go into the
technical aspects of the wage agree
ment--Which varies as between
bltuminous and anthracite fields
telling neWSmen he is not AN add
ing machine"
He summed up the situation in
this language:
All l know is that both sides are
satisfied and have signed the agree
ment. I believe the clouds have
lifted and that they will go ahead
without any more coal dispute"
In answer to another question. the
Secretary sald he did not know who
was responsible for the formula 10
which the miners finally agreed,
after rejecting the War Labor
Boards proposal
Mr.. Ickes said that he had had
no reaction from the operators other
than two of the Illinois producers
from whom he had heard indirectly
They were satisfied. he said.
The contract Is based on a revi-
sion Of a proposed agreement which
the Illinois operators submitted in
dependently to the UNIV when the
strike was at its height, and which.
II had been hoped, would serve as
the basis for settlement through
out the Appalachian area.
Stock Pile Short.
Mr.. Ickes said also that he had
gone before the miners Policy
Committee this morning and told
them 1t is necessary to get more
coal out He said that the Ma
tons bitumlnous stock pile is al
ready 40OOo,O 900 tons short and that
the shortage might run to $1,000
900 tons or more before the full
productive capacity of the mines is
restored
In emphasizing his belief that the
cut in the lunch hour will mean
more tonnage, Mr. IckeS said that
F, J, Thomas, one of his coal ad-
vlsers and the operator Of one Of
the largest mines in the country.
had told him that 30 per cent of the
miners customarily eat while they
work. Notwithstanding this, he
the men have been taking
their 30 minutes lunch period Now,
he continued. production will be un-
interrupted. He had the same report
from another source, Mr.. Ickes
continued
Mr.. Ickes would not speculate on
the length Of time the Government
operation of the mines might con-
tinue.
Hopes for Contract.
Under the Connolly Act a
eelzed industry must be returned to
private ownership within so davs
after productive efficiency is re-