Evening star., 1943-11-12
Coal
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should not exceed the wages that
would be paid under the l941-l943
agreement"
Prerequisite for Mines Return.
Il will appoint a committee to
investigate and report on the facts
necessary to enable the board to
pass on any agreement which may
be made between the mine workers
and the operators"
An agreement between operators
and miners will be the prerequisite
for the return of the mines to pri-
vate ownership.
Another Crisis Held Possible.
Meanwhile, WLB majority, be-
lieving another coal crisis is pos
sible, in effect. pleaded poverty Of
authority today to deal with it.
Industry members Of the board
addressed themselves directly to
Congress in a statement strongly
urging immediate consideration of
amendments to the Antistrike Act
ito require responsibility of unions
and to provide additional protection
for workers, employers and the pub
lie against those who misuse the
power presently permitted"
The three public members who
the Ickes-Lewis agreement
said in their formal opinion in
the case that the possibility of
new labor troubles, together
with the shock experienced by the
whole country as a result of the
United Mine Workers defiance of
the no-strike pledge, must of neces-
sity bring into the forefront of con-
sideration and discussion the whole
question of the responsibility of
unions for antisocial acts and of
the capacity of Government as at
present constituted to prevent such
acts"
May Need More Power.
WLB spokesmen said this was an
expression of the boards feeling
that it may need additional powers
If another crisis arises.
Legislative sanctions more thor
oughgoing than now exist" the
opinion added, may be required
unless organized labor itself demon
strates from now on its determina-
ton to accept the bitter with the
sweet and to comply with the or
derly processes of Government
which have been set up to cope with
wartime conditions"
The opinion was signed by Mr..
Davis, Vice Chairman George w.
Taylor and DR.. Frank P. Graham.
The fourth public member, Wayne
l.. Morse, dissenteG. The industry
statement was signed by George
Mead, Reuben Robertson, James
Tanham and Walter Margetts.
In connection with the travel
time issue, the three public men,
bers said:
Until an accurate and compre-
hensive travel time study has been
made, 1t will be impossible to
determine whether the future
terms will be the same as those
now in effect. If it should be found,
as result of a travel time study
that terms less favorable to the
miners than those now. in effect
must be laid down with respect to
some or all portions of the indus
try, another issue CT compliance may
be presented which will determine
finally whether or not the present
powers of Government are adeuua te
to deal with recalcitrant unions"
Complaints have already come in
from mines suffering from the use
OF the 45-minutes average under
the Ickes-Lewis agreement. The
Inland Steel Co, telegraphed Mr..
Ickes that at its WheelWright (Ky)
mine the average travel time is
about 81 minutes, 40 minutes above
the average. This would mean 49,
minute shortening of the 8-hour pc
riod for which miners are paid to
produce coal.
The opinion said the negotiation
OF an agreement during strike was
contrary to sound public policy"
but the majority, in approving the
agreement, concluded that "the dam
age had already been DONE"
1T was felt" they added, that the
national interest in time of war
would not be served by rejection
of the agreement on the ground that
another agency had done what the
board itself would not have done in
negotiating contrac. while the men
were out on strike"
Thousands Take Day Of.
In the meantime. while most of
Americas industrial war machine
worked on the traditional Armistice
Day holiday, thousands Of coal