Evening star., 1946-05-06
Coal
Continued From First Page.)

group may prove to be handy one
to have around this week.
Welfare Fund Is Key,
Here is the way the strike looks
. to those in close contact with the
principal parties.
l. Mr.. Lewis demand for a union
administered health and welfare
fund still is the key to the settle
ment. The operators say he wants
a 1o-cent royalty on each ton of
coal mined-enough to net his union
s50,O00,000 to s60,OOO,0O0 annually J
Mr., Lewis apparently is fairly well
satisfied with the operators Oft
expressed desire to do something on
his other big nonwage proposal, i'm
proved mine safety.
2. Whatever the powerful South
ern Coal Producers Association
represented by former Nebraska
Senator Burke, elects to do about
the holiday issue will be followed
by the other operators.
3. In other respects, the United
States Steel Corp-because of its
ramlflcations in the coal industry
holds the balance of power in max
Ing Whatever new contract comes
out of the present deadlock.
Conference Proposed.
AS part of this latter situation,
Mr.. Lewis told newsmen that "a
high Government official had pro-
posed a conference between the
union leader and Benjamin F.
Falrless, president of United States
Steel.
For some reason, however, this
meeting never came off, according
to both Mr.. Lewis and United States
Steel associates. Mr.. Lewis said he
still is ready and waiting. Should
that meeting take place this week,
things might begin to happen.
Mr.. Burke testified before the
House subcommittee that legislation
outlawing the payment of royalties
on coal would be "a long step toward
settling" the present strike.
Counsel for the Southern Coal
Operators Association, he was one
of a group of witnesses who testi-
fed in support of legislation making
1t illegal for employers to pay unions
a royalty on goods produced.
Backed by Virginians.
The legislation was backed also
by Representatives Smith and Rob-
ertson, Virginia Democrats, and off,
cials of the National Association
of Manufacturers and the United
States Chamber of Commerce.
Enactment of the legislation, Mr.
Robertson said. would remove the
chief stumbling block" in the coal
strike. Should the strike continue
for several more weeks, the Vir-
ginian asserted, "it will be dis
aster second only to major war"
Mr. Smith contended the mine op-
orators cannot legally accede to Mr.
Lewis demand because the National
Labor Relations Act prohibits en-
ployers from contributing to the
support of unions.
Mosher Gives NAM Views.
The views of the National Asso-
ciation of Manufacturers were pre-
sented by Ira Mosher, NAM chair
man, who said Mr. Lewis demand
was tantamount to a demand that
the union be allowed to levy tax
on the people as the price that must
be paid for sitting down at the COL
lecuive bargaining table"
The time has come to settle this
question once and for all by out
lawing forever any private levy on
the many for the benefit of the
few" he said.
William K. Jackson of Boston
new president of the Chamber ot
Commerce, supported the legislation
introduced by Representative Rob-
ertson and Smith for the same gen.
eral reasons outlined by Mr.. Burke
and Mr.. Mosher.
The kind of levy upon industry
proposed by certain union leaders
is simply an exaction for the inter-
est OF a limited group chargeable
to the expense of ALL Mr.. Jackson
declared.
Tyre Taylor, general counsel oi
the Southern States Industrial
Counsel, also Endorsed the legisla.
ton.
He said he did not believe Mr.
Lewis should be permitted to levy
taxes" any more than he should be
allowed to coin money, or raise
armies, or declare war"
Mr.. Robertson said that industry
and management groups through.
out the Nation have rallied behine
his bill and Senator Ellender said
1T looks like it will SNOWFALL righ,
through the House and Senate"
Chairman Weaver, Democrat, O,
Arar4l, Hnro1ira ee;, Li