Evening star., 1946-09-25
BY the Associated Press

anu business lie IN the steel
capital.
BY the Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 25.-A
showdown neared today in an
Allegheny County courtroom on
Plttsburgh's power strike amid
hints from CIO unionists of a
possible general strike call in
the city unless George L. Mueller,
president of the power union, is
freed from jail, where he was
lodged last night for contempt of
court.
A three-judge court was prepar-
ing to act on its warning to nine
strike leaders that they also would
lace contempt charges unless the
strike is called off.
Meanwhile, the Executive Board
OF East Pittsburgh local of the Unit
ed Electrical Radio and Machine
Workers Union asked the CIO-Steel
City Industrial Council, represent
ing 100000 workers, to hold a meet
Ing at which the board said it
would present a resolution asking
a general CIO strike if Mueller is
still in jail" No time for the meet
ing was suggested
The power strike, called in spite
OF an injunction against it, was still
on this afternoon.
The nine other union leaders ap-
peared in Common Pleas Court this
morning following the dramatic de-
clslon yesterday in which Mr..
Mueller was sentenced to a year In
Jail
The power company employees
spurned threat by the court to
hold these nine in contempt if the
strike was not called off by 9 am.
today.
Men Come to Court.
When the deadline hour arrived
the court announced it would post
pone any action for an hour. The
independent company union called
the strike, unprecedented in a city
of Pittsburgh's size. despite a court
injunction against it.
The nine men arrived in court an
hour after the deadline but gave no
indication of how they would reply
to the courts order. Opening of
court was delayed, indicating
three-judge banc was considering
the case.
Awaiting the courts order,
crowd of several thousand specta-
tors and strikers gathered outside
the courthouse. Strike sympathy
shouts were heard but the crowd
kept orderly.
Already more than 10000 workers
were idle in steel plants and other
industries closed because of the
power strike. Thousands more Of
flee and shop workers were kept
home by curtailment of streetcar
service, which today sagged to as
low as Is per cent of normal.
The light company, manned its
power plants chiefly with supervisors
but said the power supply never
theless was reduced to 35 per cent of
normal today. Electricity still flowed
to stores and homes, but the COM
pany continued appeals to all to
conserve its use. A company~Spokes-
man said the present limited serv-
ice could be continued for several
days If enough voluntary ration
ing" is applied.
First Bus CurtaiIment.
The first bus curtailment was an
nounced today. Buses stopped on
four heavily ly-traveled Pittsburgh
routes because their garage main
tenance men are members of the
striking Independent Association of
Duquesne Light Co. employees.
For many business workers In
Pittsburgh the strike meant another
holiday" today. Some 1900 900
persons live in the strike-affected
area of BIT square miles, known the
world over for its steel mills.
A work stoppage apparently in
spired by sympathy with Mr.. Mueller,
the jailed union leader, began among
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. work
ers at Pittsburgh About TOO were
idle.
A general membership meeting
of the plants 5,700 workers was
called for 4 pm. today. Oficials
nf the 1prol a,ao,,,lo ~