The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-27

mines for higher paying war in
duStrieS.
On the other hand, the miners
automatically got their weekly
wages upped by $3.50 week for
skilled bituminous miners when
the mines went from IS to a
42-hour week. This gave them
time and a half for the extra
seven hours,
One solution OF the current con-
troversy would be to put the mines
on a 48-hour week, which may
be necessary anyway because Of
the shortage of mine labor. This
would give skilled miners another
$3.50 a week, would mean $27 a
week more income in the last
two years.
However, none Of these com.
promises would satisfy John L.
Lewis. Friends say he demands
a straight-Out victory.
INITIATION WATERSPOUT
Such victory will be resisted
to the bitter end by the Presi-
dent for several reasons. Chief
reason Is that If Lewis gets an
outright $2-a-day wage increase
anything approaching 1t, a long
list of unions which have been
denied increases and swallowed
their medicine will Immediately
come clamorIng back. The air.
craft workers who were rebuffed
recently by the War Labor Board
probably would strike, If Lewis
now squeezes 50 out of the WLB
and they still failed to get their
increase.
Even more vehement would be
the farmers. Most of them hate
John L. Lewis. The President
knows this. He also knows that
he never could hold down farm
ers' price demands If Lewis wins
his battle. That, Of course,
opens up the whole waterspout
of initiation. And that Is why
the grim battle between those two
one-time friends actually is al
most as important as the cur
rent battle for TuniSia.
MRS. MINIVER AND TOBRUK
Senators George of Georgia and
Mcfarland of Arizona, together
with Jesse Jones, paid tribute to
HoIlywood's contribution the war
and to M-G-M's Louis B. Mayer
in particular at an off-the-record
luncheon in a Senate private din
ing room the other day.
At the luncheon Mayer disclosed
an interesting bit OF history which
occurred when Churchill was visit
ing at the White House last year,
during the fall Of Tobruk. The
Prime Minister was bitterly
shocked over the defeat and the
President was worried over the eff
feet on the American public. He
feared it might give the impress
sion that England was not fight
ing to the last ditch.
II happened that Churchill
had seen D previCw at the
White House of the smash pic
turc MRS. Miniver," showing the
struggle and sacrifice Of the
British people. The President
was SO Impressed with IL that
he had Owls Elmer Davis
phone Mayer and ask that MRS.
MInlver'' be released throughout
the country at once. well In adj
vance of It's scheduled release
date.
Mayer was glad to do so. though
at a loss of about 100000 to
his company.
CAPITAL CIIAFF
Latest way OF saving shoe
leather was demonstrated In the
cocktail lounge when young man
kicked off his shoes and escorted
his partner TO the dance floor II
stocking feet. Head-waiter Teddy
Estelmann stopped the orchestra,
said. please, SIR, 80 back and put
on your Shoes" The young man
obliged but not until after he had
scored his point - that shoes
will last longer II you don't wear
them Senator Jim Mead, who
was awfully anxious for newspaper
publicity when running for gov
ernor or New York. now sneaks
down back elevators with his hat
pulled down, TO avoid newsmen >.
British Overseas Always Corpor-
alton Is now operating four planes
week across Africa. using the
bases built by Pan American Air.
ways under u. s. government sub
sidy. The British are worried
lest we keep these air bases and
monopolize African air transport