Evening star., 1946-05-10
Industries Need 10
To14Doys to Begin
Operating Again

call in the soft coal strike gave
an anxious Nation a breathing
spell today, but it's immediate eff
feet on the chaos threatening
industry was in question.
Even had he strike actually ened
most closed industries would need
! 10 to IA days to get the coal and
begin operating again. Those con-
Germs which had only curtailed
operations and had sufficient fuel
stocks to keep going until the truce
mined supplies reached them had
the prospect of continuing on the
straitened basis.
There was no immediate word
whether the rail embargo that had
hamstrung the Nations transporta-
ton system would be lifted. Mean
while, before Mr.. Lewis called his
truce, the Civilian Production Ad
ministration:
l. Called for Government seizure
of coal mines;
2. Ordered rationing of manufac-
tured and mixed gas to consumers
when producers coal stocks drop
under a three-Week supply, and
3. Announced that more than
l,00O,O 600 persons, including the 418,-
600 miners, were out of work because
OF the 40-day y-old strike.
The embargo, effective last mid
night on all steampowered railroads,
was a bitter pill for industry. It
permitted freight and express move
ment only of food, fuel, medicine
and a few other vital goods, and
cut passenger transportation by Is
per cent.
Another Slash May Is.
An additional 25 per cent slash in
passenger service ordered by the
Office of Defense Transportation
will go into effect on May IS.
p Thousands of commuters in popu-
lous Eastern areas found their day
disrupted as they sought to con-
form to the new schedules.
About three-fourths of the Ma
tons vast network of railroads relv
on coal.
National Housing Administrator
wyatt had added another gloomy
note earlier today by asserting that
unless coal production is resumed
quickly, hope of reaching the goal of
2,7O0,O00 homes by 1948 under the
veterans housing program will
have to be abandoned"
Along with the rail embargo the
ODT asked motor carriers to give
priority to essential goods to avert
large-scale diversion of rail ship
ments to highways. The Post Office
Department also cut the weight of
parcel post packages that can be
mailed from 70 to II pounds, with
certain exceptions.
Auto Workers to Be Laid of.
At least $4,000 auto workers tenn
porarily will be jobless next week
l25,OO0 more than were involved in
the induStry's own recent strike
unless the truce provides coal. The
Ford plant already has started
a shutdown that will affect 10000
persons. General Motors announced
1t would be forced to stop operating
within 10 days and would start the
layoff of 215,000 workers beginning
Monday.
The United States Steel Corp.
added another 5000 to the idle steel
workers in the Pittsburgh district,
increasing the industry's total num-
Der of unemployed well over the
$4,000 mark.
Republic Steel Corp. also an
nounced drastic reductions in it's
plants, most of which are in Ohio.
Operations will drop to As per cent
tomorrow and were to drop to 10 per
cent Ma IA, under plans made be-
fore the truce announcement.
CPA said its aim in decreeing ra-
tioning of manufactured and mixed
gas is to keep such essential services
as cooking, refrigeration and hos
pitals going "as long as possible in
the current national crisis
Gradual Cut in Utilities.
The order requires utilities to cur
tail their sales in a series of steps,
first cutting off supplies to factories
and other industrial consumers
whose contracts permit interruption
in service.
Other steps to be taken are, in
order:
l. Deliveries must be curtailed,
proportionately so far as possible, to
commercial and industrial users, ex-
cept those providing certain ESSEN
tial services" listed in the order
such as fire and police stations, hos
pitals, restaurants, bakeries, dairies
and newspapers.
2. Deliveries of gas shall be cur
tailed even to the essential" users.
8. After all other cuts have been
(See STRIKE EFFECT, Page A-6.)