Evening star., 1945-02-12
Decision on Return
OF Lewis 10 AFL
Is Expected Today
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON,
Star Staff Correspondent,


Executive Council today considered
John l.. Lewis answer to an in
vitation to bring back the United
Mine Workers into the Federation
and break was expected in the
long standing negotiations before
the day was over.
A letter from Mr. Lewis was re-
ceived by the council late yesterday,
President William Green said, but
he declined to disclose its contents
until it had been read to the council.
Late last week, the council meet
ing here for its regular midwinter
sessions voted to invite the dynamic
mine leader to return to the organi-
cation he helped build.
Asked Back on Own Terms.
Federation leaders said they had
asked Mr.. Lewis back virtually op
his own terms. He was to bring n
the UMWA including District 20 on
an 'as is" basis. Juris|1ctional
questions arising because Of District
so, a catch-all organizs don in which
Mr.. Lewis has Sip.4ed workers of
many trades, We AID be settled by
the council as they come up.
Most controversial problem likely
to develop because of District SO
would be jurisdiction over chemical
workers. Mr.. Lewis has many thou
sand coke and chemical workers in
his union, while the AFL granted
an international charter to its
chemical workers last spring.
An AFL official said that if Mr..
Lewis decides to re-enter the Fed
Grafton, the two groups of chemical
workers probably would be merged
into an entirely new union. 1t
seemed the best way of removing
that stumbling block.
Mr.. Lewis incurred the wrath of
AFL in 1885 by forming the CIO.
He and the Mine Workers, along
with number of other big unions,
were suspended from the Fedora
ton in 1886 and finally expelled in
1888 Mr.. Lewis resigned as head
of CIO shortly after the 1910 cleo
ton and withdrew the UNIV from
the organization in 1912.
Would Give AFL Superiority.
A union of Mr.. Lewis forces with
the AFL would give the combina-
ton a commanding numerical su-
periority in the American labor
field There are many AFL officials
here who also feel Mr.. Lewis dy-
manic personality is badly needed
in the organization.
Meanwhile, the Council urged
Congress to adopt a comprehensive
housing program which it said
should be given priority over all
other peacetime legislation. An
outline for a program was suggested
to the Congress
Major points of the program fol-
low:
l. Creation of a national housing
board of five members, responsible
for developming and administering
an overall policy.
2. Broadening of FHA mortgage
insurance, reducing interest rates,
extending amortization to 80 years,
providing a moratorium on pay
ments on unemployment of pur-
chaser, setting up minimum con-
standards and providing
for payment of prevailing rates to
workers who build them
Home Building Program.
3. Expansion of slum clearance
to provide 100000 dwelling units a
year for loW-income families which
private enterprise cannot reach.
4. Federal grants for community
project planning, amendment of the
Lanham Act to enable local housing
authorities to acquire permanent
war housing, development of a rural
housing program for low-income
farm families. continuation of price
control over building materials
until supplies match demand and
modification of the GI Bill of Rights
to enable the veteran to more easily
acquire a home.
The council pointed out that most
industries must undergo long and
complicated reconVersion process
before assuming peacetime manu-
facture but housing can be all set
and ready to go when the last shot
is fired provided Congress acts now
to establish a clear-cut policy and
set up the necessary governmental
machinery"