Evening star., 1943-06-09
Coal
Continued From First Page)

question whether Mr.. Lewis would
now cooperate with the board or
simply hold aloof and make no
change in the present working order
which instructed the miners that
they were to work up to and in
cluding June TO-"
Talks Called "Farcical."
The boards May Is order di-
rected that the union and operators
attempt to settle the issue Of portal
to-portal pay by direct negotiations
These negotiations were described
by both parties last night as
"farcical."
Mr.. Lewis strode from the parley
In the Hotel Statler yesterday with
an assertion 1t was "a farcical pro-
ceeding in every way" He said the
operators, still refusing to yield to
his $2-a-day pay increase for each
miner, were "sullen and morose"
about the whole proposal. He added
that their attitude was "an insult
to the coal miners and the national
interest,"
Burke Agrees Talks Were Farce"
Former Senator Edward r. Burke,
president of the Southern Appa-
lachian Operators Association,
agreed with Mr.. Lewis that the con-
ferences were "a farcial procedure"
adding, though, that Mr.. Lewis made
it so.
mo attempt was made on the part
OF the miners to discuss the issue"
Mr.. Burke declared, adding that the
UNIV delegation went through the
farce of holding a caucus" in the
joint conference yesterday. He said
Mr.. Lewis announced that "'the
miners would now like to hold a
caucus, but don't you gentlemen
leave, We'll hold the caucus while
you're right here
They went through the forms of
discussing the operators in the eau
Gus and then Maj. (Percy) Tetlow
(of the UNIV formally reported to
the chair that the caucus was over
and that the miners advice to the
operators was to stay away from
the War Labor Board because no
good could come from the War Labor
Board"
Mr.. Burke said Monday night the
operators would have to report to
the WLB that there was no chance
OF an agreement
Possibly straw in the wind was
the disclosure last night that a COM
promise Of 81 so a day pay increase,
for underground travel, was suit
able to union miners in Indiana.
Those in Illinois already have given
tentative approval to this.
Louis Austin, president of Dis
trict IL, UNIV, In Indiana, said last
night the miners there were ready
to negotiate new contract for
$l.50 portal-to-portal pay" Illinois
operators offered this to the $4,000
miners in that State, and Ray Ed
mundson, Illinois president OF the
UNIV, accepted 1t as basis for ne
gotiation. Mr.. Lewis receded from
his 81 demand last week to the ex-
tent OF offering $3.50 on a 3o-day
trial basis, but the offer was rejected
by the operators.
At the same time the Illinois
UNIV demanded a congressional in
vestigation OF the WLB. Mr.. Ed
mundson issued statement which
raised the question of whether board
members were violating the so-called
little steel" formula by accepting
monetary consideration from the
taxpayers and Government while
maintaining their own official con-
nections with their respective
groups"
Lewis Wants New Study.
The original 81 demand was based
on a contention that q miner uses
80 minutes day travelling from the
mouth Of the workings to his specific
task and back The operators coun-
tered with an offer to pay for 48
minutes, at straight time. A i've
year-old Government study places
the underground travel time ct 48
minutes. Mr.. Lewis indicated he be-
heved there ought to be q new study.
The loss from recent coal mine
strikes totaled more than 2,000, 900
man-days, or more than triple the
loss caused by strikes Of all kinds in
April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
estimated last night.
It said no ofdcial strike figures are
available yet for any period later
than April. However, statistics pro-
vided by an individual expert In the
bureau added up to 1000, 900 plus In
the period since May 2, when Presi-
dent Roosevelt made his radio ap-
peal to the miners to 60 back to
their jobs.