Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-02
UNIVERSAL -DaY Week
For Soft Coal Mines
Is Urged by Ickes
Coils Industry Unable
To Meet Demands With
Most Pits Working Five

10 Meet Demands With
Most Pits Working Five
CONTINUED From First Pase.)
operators who produce the prepon-
derance OF coal have not agreed on
the basis for increasing hours from
the five-day. 35-hour week.
The solid fuels co-ordinator also
called on coal producers and dealers
to avoid discrimination" In order
to meet the essential needs sof all
persons In sections where the coal
supply is short. He urged. con-
sumers already supplied with coal
not to press dealers for additional
deliveries. Yse
TT is the responsibility Of the
coal industry and Of Ill fuel dealers
to see to It that no one suffers for
lack Of coal because Of discrimina :
tory practices" Mr.. 1ckes said. IT
the available supplies are equitably
distributed, there should be enough
coal Of some kind, quality Or size
that viii keep homes warm, even
in the East Coast States. where an
acute shortage OF anthracite was
caused by the strike In the hard
coal mines."
Strike Effect Stnl Shown.
Mr.. Iekes said the anthracite pro-
duction during the week ended jan
uary 23 totaled 1,047 900 tons,
compared with 1907 900 tons for the
previous week, still showing the
effects Of the recent strike In the
hard coal fields. He estimated the
hard coal industry could produce
300, 600 tons more week with all
mines working full time on the six
day week.
Bituminous coal production de-
creased from ll,575 900 tons for the
week Of January Is to IL 400 900
tons for the week Of January ~.
Production Of COZ, 900 900 tons Of
bituminpus coal In lo43, which Mr..
Ickes has said would be necessary,
win require an average weekly out
put Of more than II 500 900 tons.
Pelicy Group Set 70 Meet.
The Policy Committee Of the
United Mine Workers, meanwhile,
was to meet today to open ofnci-
ally q campaign to crack the War
Labor Boards little STEEL formula
and get Z Substantial increase
for 10000 bituminous miners.
Union President John l.. Lewis
called the meeting unusually early
SIX weeks In advance Of negotiations
with the operators for = new con-
tract. The purpose. according ia
the UNIV journal. Is ito give the
coal industry ample time to give
fullest consideration to the neces-
saty Of granting substantial wage
increases. as well Is to manpower
and supply problems, and to the
growing demand for coal"
$z-a-pay Demand Seen.
The common guess is that the
Policy Committee will construe
Substantial" to mean about - q
day.
Mr.. Lewis, since sending out the
formal call for the meeting, termed
the little steel formula arbitrary
ana miserably stupid" and said the
Will violates the Government inc
strike) agreement with labor each
day that II operates"
Wage increases designed to Offset
rising living costs art limited BY the
Little Steel formula to IS per cent
Of the January. 1ell, levels. Opera
tors say the bituminous miners OBJ
tanned at least that much In the
spring Of 1871.
Increases into which the cost OF
living factor does not enter, how
ever, are not limited to the Little
Steel formula. The boards policy
permits increases 70 correct inequali-
ties, TO eliminate substandards OF
living, 10 correct gross inequities. OF
to aid in the effective prosecution
Of the war"
This gives Mr.. Lewis . consid-
cradle field outside the Little Steel
formula. It may be, Of course. that
he has explored the field and found
it barren for his purposes. Omcial
figures are not available, but 1t is
known that the board has approved
scores Of increases beyond the Little
Steel formula. Most Of these cases
involved the elimination Of inequali-
ties.