The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1946-11-21
Background
(Confinued From PAGE OnsJ


the instruments-such as reduction
of working hours from 54 per week
to 40 at the same net income per
miner.
With some fanfare and display
of public know-how, the White
House Nov. Is released a state
ment by President Truman review
ing the coal mining situation. 1t
recounted how the U. S. took over
the mines last May and met union
demands that the property owners
had declined to accept.
Truman's statement said that
the government could not reopen
that contract without mutual con-
sent to discuss new wages, hours
or other employment terms, and
was intended to be replaced by a
direct employer union contract"
The President also observed that
the U. S. cannot replace "private
management as the bargaining
agent" and that the proposal of
Secretary of Interior j. A. Krug
which was accepted by the opera
tors and rejected by President
John l.. Lewis of the UNIV was
regarded by Truman as fair and
equitable" He asked Lewis to ac-
cept the proposal and satisfy the
desire of 140 Million Americans
for industrial peace and continued
production in the soft coal mines,
and in all our great industries
which are so dependent upon coal"
What Krug proposed was this:
1.-That Krug convene a confer
ence between the UNIV and the
operators on Nov. 16, or soon
thereafter, and U. S. operation of
the mines continue for two months.
2.-That during the first month
the situation be maintained with
out retroactive wage changes, and
a ban on increasing prices of coal.
3.-That if no agreement is
reached in the first month, that
price limitations be removed and
that any changes upping wages
and decreasing hours be made re-
troactive to Dec. 16, 1916.
4.-As a last point, Krug proposed
that if no agreement is reached
by Jan. 16, 1947, the mines would
revert to private ownership and
"the normal operation of economic
forces would prevail in the coal in
dustry."
The UNIV Journal, in a story
written prior to, but in anticipa-
tion of these developments, said
that from the trun of events it is
apparent that Secretary Krug is
determined to force a shutdown
of bituminous coal mines"
AS a result, Lewis formally mott
fled Krug Nov. Is that since Is
days had elapsed since the begin
ming of their joint conference, the
UNIV, Exercising its option, here
by terminates said Krug-Lewis
agreement as of IL p. m., mid
night, Wednesday, Nov. 20"
Earlier, Lewis had written Krug
that the UNIV could not accept his
proposal for 60 day truce because
the miners "do not propose to deal
with parties ii. e. the operators)
who have no status under that con-
tract. We do not propose to be
driven like dumb beasts to the
slaughter of slow strangulation
envisioned by your proposal and
the operators well known and long
used tactics Of evasion and delay.
We call upon you to honor your
contract"
Lewis branded that proposal to
let an operator conference
supersede the government UNIV
conference as "sheer folly, and
empty platitude, well known by
you to be So"
The UNIV chief branded krug's
offer as an effort, "at the last
hour, of the last day" to "yield to
the Establishments and soothing
siren voice Of the operators and
seek to place the UNIV and it's
members between Scylla and
Charybdis. This course we refuse
to follow"