Evening star., 1945-10-12

The number of workers made
idle by the coal strike reached
200, 900 today as Federal officials
laid plans for possible industrial
rationing of manufactured gas
and hints of new antistrike legis-
lation came from Congress.
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
again met at IL am. with soft coal
operators and John L. Lewis mine
workers in an effort to resolve diff
ferences over recognition of unioni-
zation of mine supervisory workers
and end the strike. Approximately
half of all bituminous miners were
out with nearly 900 mines shut in six
States.
Congress was cropping for legisla-
ton that would make unions and
employers mutually responsible"
and serve as substitute for the
wartime Smith -Connally Act, re-
peal of which has been asked. Lead
ers of both parties went on record as
favoring a law to halt the wave of
strikes.
Loss of coal production at a rate
of more than a million tons daily
has cut deeply into manufactured
gas stocks. This prompted John D.
Small, chairman of the new Civilian
Production Administration setup to
replace WPB, to recall a staff of
experts to prepare for rationing of
gas should the coal stoppage con-
tinue.'
Won't Affect Householders.
Mr.. Small said householders would
not be affected if the rationing plan
were put in effect. Officials of the
Gas Division of WPB, headed by
Alexander Macomber of Boston,
were recalled, although several had
resigned.
Meanwhile, Federal coneiliators
and Mayor La Guardia moved to
end the 12-day-old strike of long
shoremen which had stalled more
than $50 ships, some needed for re-
turning veterans, in the New York
Harbor. The Wage Negotiation Com
mittee Of the AFL union agreed to
accept Government intervention
after stormy meeting late yester-
day.
A group of officers loaded cargo
for the return to Europe of one
troopship and offered to help out on
others. War Shipping Administra-
ton officials had said the strike de-
layed return of thousands of troops. ~
Ship Repair Workers Strike.
More than 5000 AFL ship repair
workers in IA shipyards of the Los
Angeles area went on strike in sup
port of demands for an 11.6 per cent
pay differential over workers on new
ship construction, in line with wages
in the San Francisco and Puget
Sound area.
New ship construction and repair
work in five yards employing CIO
members, were not affected.
On the Hollywood front mass
picketing of studios continued as a
long awaited announcement of a
National Labor Relations Board
election result failed to bring i'm
mediate settlement of the seven
month-old dispute. In recheck OF
ballots to determine a collective
bargaining representative for movie
set decorators, the AFL painters
went out, SIS to As, over the rival
AFL International Alliance of The
atrical State Employees.
The Labor Department today as
signed a Federal conciliator to at
tempt settlement of the Hollywood
dispute. Earl j. Ruddy of Los
Angeles was named to step into the
studio dispute Immediately.
100000 Idle in Nation.
A strike was scheduled for tomor-
row of AFL bus drivers serving near
ly million daily passengers in II
Massachusetts, communities. A SIM
liar strike of Kentucky drivers was
delayed, while 2,700 bus operators
remained out in seven Northwest
| States.
The total of strike idle over the
country remained at about 100000.
Millwrights Walk Out.
One thousand AFL millwrights
we're off the job in Detroit over the
effective date Of a pay raise award
tSee LABOR, Page A-5.)