Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-03
Shortage Of Fuel
|ckes Warns
White House May
Order Seizure of
Coal Mines Today

AS tlle pennsylvania anthracite
mine strike headed for the White
House and possible Federal seizure,
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
warned today that fuel oil and coal
supplies would remain as short next
heating season as they were last
winter.
Mr.. Ickes said he expected to take
over the mines "P. D. G." He in
dicated seizure order might come
from the White House today.
The War Labor Board referred
the strike of $4,000 United Mine
Workers to Economic Sterilization
Director William H. Davis last
night, and the case was understood
to be on its way to President
Truman.
Mr.. Ickes said published reports
that either fuel oil or coal sup
plies for civilians will be more
plentiful next winter than last are
untrue and mislead consumers"
Supply May Be Reduced.
I'VE hope to have enough home
heating oil to supply present con-
sumers next winter with as much
fuel oil as they had last season."
Mr.. 1ckes said, But there will not
be more There may be even less.
And there is no likelihood that coal
users whose quotas have been re-
duced can turn to fuel oil for relief"
He said that the collapse of Ger
many will not end shortages of fuel
Oil or coal because of the heavy
military requirements needed to
Stepup the war against the Japs.
Mr.. Ickes revealed an improve
ment today in the work situation in
soft coal mines although nearly 40,
representing production of $4,000
tons day still were idle. He est
mated the hardcoal production loss
this week at about 1,25O00O tons.
! Meanwhile the OPA announced
that price of bituminous coal in
the Washington and Alexandria
areas had been boosted IA to 26
cents ton in the process of passing
along to consumers the wage in
| crease recently given soft coal
miners. The size of the increase
| depends on the location of the dis
trict where the coal originates.
Wage Increases Varied.
Wage boosts given soft coal miners
varied with the types of operations
in the mines. Workers in mechan-
lied mines received a larger increase
than the men in mines where coal
is loaded by hand, who generally are
laid on a plece-Work basis OPA
also took into consideration the abil-
ity of mines to absorb higher wages
in granting price relief to producers.
Typical of the new ceilings, OPA
explained, ton of low volatile nut
coal, which originates in District 7,
including Southwest Virginia and
part of West Virginia, will have a
Washington area ceiling of 1921,
compared with 1895 previously. On
the other hand. the price of a ton
of high volatile domestic mine-run
coal from the adjacent District will
cost only IS cents more. or 1888
Prices in Alexandria. separated by
OPA for pricing from the rest of
the Metropolitan Area, will run
slightly higher, OPA said.
Stalemate on Contract.
Production in the hard coal mines
has been at standstill since Mon
day when the miners old wage
agreement ran out. Operator and
miner negotiators in New York have
been unable to agree on terms of
new contract and the miners so
far have declined to extend the
old contract.
/ Stalled over a 81 50-a- day travel
time payment proposed by Secretary
of Labor Perkins earlier in the week,
the wage negotiations were sched-
uled to resume today in New York.
Union spokesman said they expected
the producers to offer a counter
proposal.
| In the coal fields themselves. some
miners insisted they would remain
away from work for the rest of the
week, although others said they
would return as soon as they were