Evening star., 1946-12-01
y. S. Acts to Fine Miners Sl-S2
For Each Day They Remain Out;
ldleness Increases to 100000
Levy to Be Payable
After Strike and Go
TO Medical Fund
BY the Associated Press


The Government acted yester-
day to chalk up retroactive fines
against individual miners for
each day of the soft coal strike
while prospects for an out-of-
court settlement waned.
The fines. 81 to So for each day
of idleness, will not be collected,
however, until the miners go back
to work and they can be deducted
from paychecks. And the proceeds
will go to the unions own medical
fund, administered solely by it.
Undeterred by this move, counsel
for John L. Lewis and the United
Mine Workers mapped fresh STRAIT
egy for their legal battle against
the government which resumes to-
morrow before District Court Justice
T. Alan Goldsborough. They plan
an appeal to the United States
Circuit Court of Appeals if the
District Court ruling goes against
them, 1t was learned, and they hope
that any contempt of court sentence
may be stayed until the appeal is
decided.
Operators Call Meeting.
The private operators Of the
Southern Coal Producers Associa-
ton, called to meet here tomorrow,
may remove Edward r. Burke as
president, said one industry OFF,
ciai, for his announcement Thurs
day that 1--WE are willing to talk"
with Mr.. Lewis on wages, hours
and everything else" Ten directors
have repudiated Mr.. Burke's state
ment.
Support for Mr.. Burke came from
Hubert E. Howard of Chicago. a
member of the coal operators Nego-
tiating Committee.
Mr.. Howard, in st. Louis, told
reporter that Mr.. Burke's move "is
seconded by every operator in the
United States"
I'VE are ready to negotiate with
Lewis any time after the miners re-
turn to work." he said, "but we are
not ready to concede to Lewis what
he asks. The miners must live up
to the present contract with the
Government. sss feel neither the
Government nor Lewis has made
the issue clear to the people or the
miners"
Layoffs Nesr 100000.
As the nationwide walkout of the
100000 bituninous miners passed
its tenth day, the number OF steel,
factory and other workers laid on
in the creeping industrial paralysis
climbed close to 100000. Another
l75,O00 were on furlough from fuel
starved factories for the Thanks
giving week end.
The fines against the individual
miners were authorized in union
agreements with private operators
and carried forward in the Govern
rnent contract which Mr.. Lewis
claims is terminated and the Gov
ernment contends is still in force.
They were designed to give the
union a weapon for preventing
wildcat" strikes which it did not
authorize. The procedure under
Government operation calls for the
mine operators to apply to the Gov
eminent for authority to impose the
fines.
Applications Granted.
A spokesman for Capt. N. H. Col
lisson, Coal Mines Administrator,
announced that numerous" apph-
cations have been granted, but re-
fused to give the exact number.
If all $500 strike-bound coal conf
panies should fine their men for
the Today idleness to date, the
sum already would total between
$4,000, 900 and $4,000, 600.
The spokesman noted, however,
that probably not all companies will
seek approval 10 fine, many will not
impose fines even when permission
Is granted, and others would not col
lect the money even If they levied
the fine. Usually, he said, companies
waive the fines once settlement is
reached. Moreover, the fines are not
provided for by contract in all dis
tricts.
Under the Government coal con-
tract any fines collected must be
paid into a union medical and hos
pital fund administered for the
benefit of miners by trustees ap-
pointed by Mr.. Lewis. This is dis
tinct from the welfare and retire
ment fund" created last spring,
which is supported by company con-
tributions of cents on each ton of
coal mined.
Fines Being Levied.
The trustees of the medical fund
are instructed to provide medical,
hospital and related services for the
miners and their dependent" at
their discretion.
The Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal
Co. announced it has begun to levy
daily ST fines against the 4,500 strik-
ers at its IA Western Pennsylvania
pits. The money will be taken out
of pay checks when the strike ends.
A union official in the rich Pitts
burgh district coal fields said the
miners resent very much" the daily
fines.
Joseph Yablonski, secretary of
ICoo COAL paoo Ad0