Evening star., 1945-10-09
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Secretary of Labor SchWellen-
bach's efforts to end the coal
strike reached a climax today
with the conference of bitumi-
nous operators and miners ex-
pected either to break up in fail
ure or produce compromise on
the foremen'S issue.
The strike has reduced by half
the Nations soft coal production
and stoppages were still spreading.
Early today more than 675 pits in six
States were closed with an estimated
10000 miners idle. Federal officials
placed the daily loss in coal output
at 100000 tons and the total for the
l9-day strike at 5,600,000 tons.
In general industry over the coun-
try fewer workers than promised re-
turned to their jobs yesterday, but
the number of strike idle was re-
duced from last weeks record high
of $4,000 to 425,000. Failure of New
Yorks $4,000 dock workers to return
to work as expected kept the num-
ber of idle high.
Detroit Without Major Strike.
Detroit was without a major
strike for the first time since the
Japs surrendered. Ford Motor Co.
was preparing to resume full opera
ton, although the CIO United Au-
tomobile Workers served notice on
Federal officials that they intend
to take a strike vote in 81 Ford
plants. Major issue there was the
same as at General Motors and
Chrysler-demand for 80 per cent
higher pay.
Secretary Schwellenbach indi-
Gated that some progress was made
toward settling coal industry diff
ferences at his two sessions yester-
day with John L. Lewis miners and
| the operators - at least enough
progress to warrant another meet
ing today.
/ There was no official statement
from either operators or miners, but
both indicated privately they were
still far apart. As one spokesman
said, however, "sn of us recognize
that the strike must be ended and
we must resume digging coal for
the Nation"
Issue IN the coal strike is Mr..
Lewis demand for recognition of
| his union of mine supervisory work.
ers. Operators insist that all the
mines be opened before they viii
seriously discuss the issue further.
Mr.. Lewis says he did not authorize
the strike and, therefore, he will
| not order the men back to work.
Test Gases Planned.
Secretary Schwellenbach, mean
while, continued with his plans for
establishing a clearer Government
policy toward labor's demands for 80
per cent more pay to offset loss of
overtime. He proposes to send
through Federal stabilization ma
chlnery some test cases involving
such pay increase and employers
request for price increases to offset
the higher wages. In that way, he
hopes to establish a pattern that
would reduce future wage strikes.
The Secretary discussed the prob
lem yesterday with John c. Collet,
the new director of economic stabil-
ization. and also talked with Chair
man George w. Taylor of the War
Labor Board. Mr.. Schwellenbach
had said he would push his test
cases through WLB, but there was
reluctance on the part of the board,
scheduled to be dissolved in Decem-
ber, to accept the new assignment.
i The possibility arose that some
other Federal agency might be des-
ignated to handle wage stabilization,
/ 5000 Indiana Miners Quit.
Additional thousands of miners
quit work yesterday, 5000 in Indiana
The strike was cutting deeper into
steel production, critically needed
to make new peacetime goods. Car
lnegie- ILLINOIS Steel Corp. declared a
lack of coal would cause it to lose
1000 tons of ingot steel this week,
United States Steel reported that its
Operations were cut to 81 per cent
Thousands of steel workers were fur
Iloughed.
i West Virginia had 74,S50 miner,
idle, Pennsylvania $3.50, Kentucky
n 200, Ohio and Tennessee 5000
each and Indiana more than 5000
| Coal stock piles in Harlan County
KY, were reported almost exhaust
ed, and an estimated 800 railroad
workers were idle because there was
no coal to move. The Louisville &
Nashville Railroad reported 81
trains idle in Eastern Kentucky.
CIO lumber mills in Portland
Greg. reopened as the AFL lumber
, and Sawmill workers, in surprise
, move, failed to send out pickets Il
the plants.
il The AFL union. which has threat.
(See LABOR, Page A-3.)