Evening star., 1947-05-15
Lewis sConsenfs
To Coal Farley
Without South
Contract TuIks With
Is Pct. of Industry to
Begin Tomorrow
By james Y. Newton

John L. Lewis United Mine
Workers today agreed to begin
negotiations tomorrow for new
contract with operators repre-
senting about Is per cent of the
Nations soft coal industry.
In a surprise move, Mr.. Lewis and
his union decided, for the time being
at least. to abandon their stand for
only industry wide negotiations.
Announcement of new contract
talks with representatives OF all coal
producers except most OF those In
the South was made during meet
ing at the Interior Department
shortly before noon.
Policy Committee to Meet.
The Southern Coal Producers As
ISOLATION. representing about rs per
cent of the Nations soft coal ton
mage, offered to bargain separately
with Mr.. Lewis, but maintained its
refusal to deal with the union on an
Industry wide basis.
Mr.. Lewis said the question of
separate negotiations with the
Southern operators would be de-
cided by the UMW's 25o-man Policy
Committee which will meet here in
q few days.
Navy Capt. N. H. COLLISION, head
Of Interior Departments Coal Mine
Administration, made the announce
rnent of the impending contract
talks after he had met with UNIV
officials and representatives OF all
the coal operators for about an hour
this morning.
Z Capt. Collision said Charles
O'Neill. representing coal producers
exclusive Of those belonging to the
Southern association, and including
the so-called captive" mines owned
largely by steel companies, and Mr..
Lewis agreed readily to the negotia-
lions.
Van Horn Farley Chairman.
Ezra Van Horn of Cleveland was
named chairman Of the joint soft
coal wage conference. John T,
Jones, a UNIV district president,
was selected secretary of the con-
ference.
The first negotiating session viii
be held at 10 am. tomorrow at the
Shoreham Hotel.
.rhk operators Negotiating Com
mittee will include Mr.. O'Neill, rep
resenting Pennsylvania producers;
George r. Campbell, representing
Illinois deep mines; Harvey Cart
wright, Indiana deep mines; Hubert
Howard, Illinois and Indiana strip
mines: Harry M. Moses, represent
ing the captive mines, and I. N.
Bayless, who will talk for Western
producers. The unions Negotiating
Committee includes Mr.. Lewis, John
OLeary, union vice president; James
Mark, Hugh White, George Titler
and Percy Tetlow.
Capt. COLLISION Optimistic.
After today's meeting adjourned.
Can't. COLLISION commented:
IT think they have grand chance
of getting together and working out
contract
Capt. COLLISION said the Govern
ment would withdraw from the talks
as soon as the negotiations begin.
The Government has operated the
soft coal mines since last May when
the pits were seized to end a 59-day
strike. The properties have been
operated under an agreement signed
by Mr.. Lewis and Secretary OF Inte-
rior Krug.
Must Return Mines by June.
However, under present law, the
Government must return the coal
properties to their owners by June l..
Oficials fear that unless the private
operators and the union reach
agreement by that time there will
be another coal strike.
Capt. COLLISION emphasized that
the Southern Coal Producers Asso-
citation, during the talks here, had
always expressed readiness to bar
gain with Mr.. Lewis. But the
Southerners said they were unwill-
ing to negotiate with coal interests
from the rest of the country.
Some of the coal production rep
resented by Mr.. O'Neill is located in
the South but is either owned by
steel companies or other Northern
interests. That tonnage broke
away from the Southern associa-
ton because of differences on how
bargaining should be carried out.
Last year the Southern group rep
resented about IS per cent of the
Nations production.
Last September when the Gov
ernment attempted to get Mr..
Lewis to bargain with Mr.. O'Neill's
group, the idea was rejected by the
UNIV convention. They instructed
: Mr.. Lewis to bargain only with the