Evening star., 1943-11-04
Miners Return
Slowly 70 Pits
As Strike Ends
Full Schedule in
Most of Workings
Seen by Monday
pictures on Page A.

MINERS WAGE INCREASE means
increase In price Of coal, Ickes
says. Page Az
~ .he Associated Press.
There was only a trickle Of
immediate response in the coal
fields today to the tentative
wage agreement reached be-
tween the Government and the
United States Mine Workers, but
most workings were expected to
get back on a regular schedule
by Monday.
The delay in the return to work
was attributed IN some areas to the
lateneSs of yesterdays announce
ment Of the new agreement-hiking
soft coal diggers daily pay min
imum of sl50 a day and 70 cents
for anthracite miners. John L.
Lewis, UNIV president, ordered the
mine workers to return to work and
advised them that a satisfactory
agreement had been signed with
Secretary Of the Interior Ickes.
The new agreement is subject to
War Labor Board approval and the
board met today to act on it.
If the WLB approves the agree
ment the operators seemingly will
be forced to if they hope to get
their properties back before the war
ends. Under the Antistrike Act a
seized industry must be returned TO
private operation within 60 DAYS
after normal production is restored,
but further wage controversy OBJ
vlously would prevent normal pro-
duction.
Pant Of the miners wage boost IS
accounted for by cutting the lunch
hour from 80 minutes to IS. Under
ground travel time also is TO be
recompenSated after 40 hours a
week. Mr.. ICkes and MI. Lewis fixed
the travel time al IS minutes a dav.
There was question whether the
WLB would accept the fiat formula
for all mines because travel time
varies considerably.
Hard Coal Miners Included.
The agreement also took in the
hard coal miners, who are allowed
an additional 378 cents a day. Added
10 the 1922 cents allowed by the
WLB last week under its Little Steel
formula, the total cash increase for
anthracite miners is 70 cents a DAY.
Concessions approved by the WLB
in the form of free tools are not
included in either totals. They are
estimated TO be worth 20 to 25 cents
a day for all miners.
The memorandum agreement COW
ering the settlement said the l5-
minute reduction III the lunch pc
riod would boost production Of
bituminous coal by more than 90
100000 tons and anthracite by
100000.
A survey of the coal fields gave
this picture today:
Pennsylvania s anthracite districts
showed only two small mines, en-
ploying about 365, back in produc-
ton. That States big captive and
commercial soft coal workings had
not started up during the early
morning. but operators expected
shifts to report later in the day or
tomorrow morning, after local
meetings.
Two Shift Day Likely.
West Virginia S production viz
tuauy at Standstill because OF
delays in getting the word around
to the workers. Few operators ex-
pected more than a senblance OF
normal production before Monday
and some said they might have to
60 back to a two-shift day Gnstead
Of three because Of the extended
working time in the contract.
! There was slow return to pits in
| Illinois, workers and operators
stating the agreement was reached
too late last night to ready the
mines. Full crews we're expected
tomorrow, One operator said Mr..
Ickes apparently forgot the mine
owners in making his settlement
with the union and added a resump-
ton al his workings would have to
await word from here as TO where
/ the mine owners stand under the
agreement
No major Alabama mines worked
Continued on Page APO, Column 81