Evening star., 1943-05-07
American Troops Enter Tunis and Bizerte in Drive
VII B
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
tending they have exceeded the rate
OF wage increase permissible under
the .WLB's Little Steel' formula,
and the break of the laborites from
the WLB was predicted after board
members conferred yesterday with
James F. Byrnes, diector of the
Office of Economic Sterilization.
When the President was asked
about that visit. and its possible
aftermath, he said he would be in
clined to discount those reports
Then he repeated that view in re-
sponse to further questioning about
yesterdays meeting.
Board Seen "Tottering."
Meanwhile, the WLB's three-man
panel continued hearings in the coal
wage dispute as an American Fed
Grafton spokesman said the board
was "tottering on its last legs"
Board members who sought to
increase their power to handle wage
disputes with the right to remove
inequalities" gloomily reported they
got no encouragement from Mr.
Byrnes.
Without such power, some sources
said regional-and perhaps national
labor members of the board soon
might be forced to resign because
of union pressure.
Northern bituminous operators to-
day told the panel that the United
Mine Workers demands would raise
coal costs $288 ton and increase
production costs a half billion dol
lars in the Appalachian belt alone
The cost to the entire soft coal in
dustry. they said, would be $780,
100000.
UNIV President John L. Lewis
has ridiculed the operators esti-
mates of increased costs, declaring
the price to consumers would not
be substantially higher. Mr.. Lewis
charging the WLB with prejudice
has refused to participate in the
panels inquiry.
Increased Costs Cited.
Charles ONeill, spokesman for
the Northern operators, estimated
the miners demand for a $2-a-day
wage increase would increase coal
costs AZ cents a ton and that pay
-nent of underground travel time at
one and one-half times the contract
rate for productive work would raise
the cost an additional 60 cents a
ton. He used the time e-and-a-half
rate, he said, because the pay would
fall into that bracket since the
miners now are paid on the basis
OF seven hours underground work a
day. Mr.. ONeill said that in view
OF the operators showing of an av-
erage wage OF $8.48 day, the miners
have failed to substantiate their
claim that the wages are substand-
ard"
He added that realization of the
miners demands would increase the
daily average wages to approxi-
mately s1408.
Scranton Mayor Backs Miners.
Todays session was attended by
three representatives of the anthra-
cite industry, Ralph Taggart of the
Philadelphia g. Reading Coal & Iron
Co.; James NJ Pierce, Scranton. and
Attorney Walter Gordon Merritt,
They are observing the soft coal
proceedings and will be prepared to
begin presenting their side of the
anthracite dispute late next week.
John Durkan, former Mayor OF
Scranton, also attended the hearing
and made a plea for the anthracite
miners in letter he handed tc
Panel Chairman Morris L. Cooke.
The letter said the people of Scran-
ton and Lackawanna County "are
solidly behind the anthracite miners
in their demands" Contending
there is mo doubt about the terrific
advance in the cost of living" and
urged that the miners be given not
just a living wage but a comfort
able living wage"
In New York, Mr.. Lewis contin-
ued his silence on the hearings here
He met reporters this morning in
his office in the Hotel Roosevelt
and, although in genial mood, an
sWered all questions with a nc
comment" and remarked, Gentle
men, I don't think you can frame
any question this morning which
won't get the same answer"
Those developments broke against
a background of planned labor in
vestlgation of the board and the
Governments wage policy. Presi-
dent Philip Murray called an ex-
traordinary meeting of the CIO Ex-
ecutive Board for next Friday at
Cleveland to discuss what he called
the crisis" in the Government.
wage and price administration, and
the AFL Executive Council will con-
vene here on May Is.
Fatal Blow" Cited.
The assertion that the board was
tottering" came from Philip Pearl
editor of the AFL weekly news serv-
Ice, who charged that the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Byrnes dealt the WLB
"a fatal blow" several months age
by undermining "its power, prestige
and authority in an effort to stop
Mr.. Lewis.
He said the UNIV chieftain out
maneuvered the administration by
sldestepping the WLB, knowing its
machinery was geared to kick hin,
in the face" and that it was doubt
ful whether the board could recover
Those who talked with Mr.. Byrnes
came away with little hope OF sub
stantial concessions in the hold-the-
line order, and contended much OF
WLB authority had hinged on thei,