The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-16
(Rv United Pressl


 Steel production reached the lowest level since the depression era of the 1930's today as confer ences were postponed indefinitely" in a deallocked dispute that has crippled soft coal production for 25 days.
 Blast furnaces shut down and production in the Pittsburgh smelt- ing area dropped to 47 per cent of capacity as a result of the coal shortage.
 Secretary of Labor Lewis B.. Schwellenbach said last night he had adjourned the coal conference -"subject to call"-and would not bring miners and operators togeth- CT again "until I get an indication 1t might be worth while"
 In other major disputes, some striking longshoremen returned to their jobs along the New York water front, an arbitration session was called in Hollywood's film strike and workers voted 2 to to continue their transit strike in Massachusetts.
 Mayor P. H. LaGuardia met to- day with representatives of engin- eers and flremen employed by 2l New York city milk companies in an effort to forestall tieup of the Metropolitan area milk supply.
 Striking coal miners, numbering 100000 in six eastern states, ac- counted for almost half the nations 44s,000 idle workers.
 Meeting reporters after the eighth day of conferences ended in failure Schwellenbach said he would not schedule another meeting between soft coal and union representatives until he had another compromise settlement to offer or one of the parties indicated a resumption of negotiations would be desirable.
 Despite @ solid fuels administra. ton estimate of production losses in excess of 100000 tons @ day, Schwellenbach emphasized he was not entertaining any ideas Of seizing the struck properties"
 Miners Locked Out"
 United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis said the union had accepted every proposal offered for settlement and said the postpone ment meant, in effect, that miners no longer were on strike but were locked out"
 Workers yesterday voiced their intention of remaining on strike despite state seizure of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Go. lines.
 Ernest L. Withrow, chairman of the Workers General Conference committee, said some of the locals notably. Lawrence, Lowell and Quincy-had voted in favor of re: turning to work but probably would "go along with the majority"
 The strike of 1875 operators and maintenance men stranded 660,000 riders in 64 communities from Rhode Island to the New Hamp- shire border
 Conflicting estimates were given regarding the success of @ back.to- work movement of New York dock workers, as CIO Maritime groups lent support to rebeilious AFL workers.
 President Joseph P. Ryan, seek ing to retain control of his 30,000 International Longshoremen Asso- citation (AFL) members, said more than 5000 returned to their jobs yesterday. William E. Warren, lead- CT of an ILA insurgent group, coun- tered with a claim that only Q handful of Ryan's followers had returned. Police placed the number at approximately 4.500.
 There appeared reason to hope for settlement of the sever-Enonth Hollywood film strike. Film Czar Eric Johnston scheduled meeting today with federal conciliators as strike leader, Herbert Sorrell listed conditions for Q return to work.
 Sorrell's proposals included rein- statement of strikers, re!nsta tement of collective bargaining agreements in effect March 12 and prompt recognition of a national labor relations board decision naming the