Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-14
Lewis Charges
Death Of $4,000
To Mine Firms
100000 Others
Injured in ID Years,
He Tells Pay PorIey
WORKERS EARLY APPROVAL Of
General Motors agreement ex-
pected. Page AZ
GENERAL ELECTRIC strike settled
with 1872 cent pay increase.
Page Al
By james Y. Newton

by james 7. newton
John L. Lewis charged today
that the bituminous coal indus
try in the last IA years, through
"mismanagement, cupidity, stu
pidity and Wanton neglect"
killed $4,000 miners and "violent-
ly mangled, crushed and shat
tered the bodies" of another
100000.
Mr.. Lewis made the charges be-
fore the third days open session of
the national bituminous coal wage
conference. meeting at the Shore
ham Hotel in an effort to draft a
new mine work contract.
In a dramatic standardization Of
evidence supporting the mine work.
ers' demand for a health and well
fare fund.- improved compensation
benefits and improved mine safety
laws, Mr.. Lewis accused the industry
OF extorting s60000,00O a VI i from
the miners for pseudo, ny -,thetical
ana substandard medical service,
disqualification and insurance of an
actual value of less than one-third
of the aforesaid s60,O0O,0oo.'
Reads Long Indictment.
In his deep, resonant voice, he
read out long list of charges
against the industry which he had
labeled simply indictment" He
said:
I'VE accuse, by the record, that
the management and stockholders
OF the bituminous coal industry in a
period OF IA years have, through
mismanagement. cupidity. stupidity
and wanton neglect made dead 49,
900 mine workers.
We accuse by the record, that in
the same period the same manage
ment and stockholders have, for the
same reasons, violently mangled,
crushed and shattered the bodies of
!, AGO. 900 mine workers.
1--WE accuse by the record that the
industry does not bury its dead or
bind up the shattered bones and
the mangled flesh of it's victims in
any adequate, humane or modern
sense.
Challenge to Refutation.
I'VE accuse by the record that the
management and stockholders of
the bituminous coal industry indulge
IN systematic and widespread finan-
clal exploitation of the families of
the dead and practice commercial
extortion upon the yet living victims
OF its industrial violence.
I'VE accuse by the record that the
industry EFFORTS annually from the
pay envelope of the mine workers
100000 of dollars for pseudo.
hypothetical and substandard med
ical service, disqualification and in
surance OF an actual value of less
than one-third of the aforesaid
$50 100000.
I'VE challenge on the record ref
utation point by point.
I'VE demand abatement of this
slaughter.
We demand cessation of the &C.
companying extortion.'
Before his standardization of the
miners case for better medical cara
and compensation, Mr.. Lewis pre-
sented three other officials of the
union who cited numerous cases
where they alleged the mineworkers
were victims of inhumane and in
adequate treatment.
Body Snatching" Charged.
One official, Archibald Woods,
member of UNIV committee that
investigated conditions in the coal
fields, accused big West Virginia
mining company of body snatch
ing" He said the company oper-
ated a funeral home in connection
with its half dozen mines which
proved very profitable and that in
several cases they had embalmed
bodies of miners killed in accidents
without the consent of their sur
vivors. The funeral home, he said,
was directed by the manager of the
company's store.
You mean they follow them right
to the grave? You mean they do
not desist in their extortions until
the man is covered up?" Mr.. Lewis
asked Mr.. Woods.
That Is right" the official replied.
Mr.. Woods repeated the charge
made earlier in the conference that
a number of coal mine company doc
tors in West Virginia charge higher
fees for delivering girl babies than
they do boys. The difference. he
said, was usually S. Mr.. Lewis said
this was just another case of "ex-
torting S. from the miners.
Samuel Cady, head of a UNIV dis
trict in Kentucky, described condi-
lions IN mines in that State which
Mr.. Lewis said emphasized the ter
rible conditions prevailing in the
coal industry generally and the i'm
perative need for reform"
GIN and GE Settlements Hailed.
Meanwhile, Federal labor officials.
jubilant over settlement of the Gen.
eral Motors and General Electric
strikes. today saw a single dark
cloud in the industrial sky-the pos
sibility a mine wage agreement will
not be worked out by April /, when
the present contract likely will be
terminated.
Secretary of Labor Schwellen-
bach commenting happily on the
two settlements that will send 275,-
900 men in the automobile and cleo
trical appliance industries back to
(See LABOR. Page A-87