Evening star., 1947-04-13
Lewis Calls Off Safety WaIkout,
Rescinds Order on Inspections;
House Set to Vote Labor Curbs
Action Is Loid to
Rebuke BY Judge,
Miners Defiance
By james Y. Newton

SSHsSs tsstSSNSH
John L. Lewis yesterday called
of the United Mine Workers
week-old safety" walkout In the
soft coal fields.
In q retreat from his former posi-
tion as to which mines should be
kept closed as unsafe, Mr.. Lewis
quietly telegraphed UNIV district
Offices authorization to reopen i'm
mediately all mines union field off,
GERS believe safe.
Previously, Mr.. Lewis had laid
down a policy of permitting work
only after closed mines had gone
through Federal inspection, which
takes time.
AS a result of his latest action,
Federal mine officials predicted that
soft coal production tomorrow would
be close to normal. Only a hand
full of mines are expected to remain
closed, including a few of the origi-
nal 518 dangerous" pits shut down
by the Government, which have not
been reinspected and certified as
safe.
Lewis and Union Silent.
There was no announcement from
Mr.. Lewis or any other union Of
fetal here of the existence of the
new instructions to the mine work.
ers. In sharp contrast to fanfare
surrounding other recent Lewis ac-
tions, inquiry into the back-to-work
telegram brought only terse mo
comment" at UNIV headquarters.
Mr.. Lewis was asked about the
reported new instructions as he left
UNIV headquarters late yesterday.
Il wouldn't have any comment on
anything today at ALL" he replied
Statements of Federal mine Of
ficials and Mr.. Lewis own district
officers, however, left little doubt
that the message had been sent and
received.
Frank Hughes, president of the
UNIV district at Greensburg, Pa.
quoted the message he said was
from Mr.. Lewis as follows:
TN order to avoid undue loss of
coal production the president OF
each district Is authorized to grant
permission for the immediate re-
sumption of production at each mine
now closed where there is reason
able ground to believe from the in
formation available to him that the
mines have been placed in safe
condition"
Federal officials attributed the
sudden change of course by Mr..
Lewis to the dressing down. he re-
ceived from, Justice T. Alan Colds
borough in District Court Thursday
and to the fact that UNIV members
had returned to work at several
hundred mines contrary to instruc-
tions from Mr.. Lewis. Those miners
appeared to be ignoring his wishes.
A week ago, Mr.. Lewis suggested"
to the Interior Department that
pending re-examination and certifi-
cation as safe by Federal inspectors,
only two of the 1881 Government
held mines should be opened for
work. Secretary of Interior Krug,
who earlier had closed the 518 mines
until dangerous conditions could be
corrected, fatty rejected the pro-
posal, terming the Lewis idea an
arbitrary" shutdown OF the entire
soft coal industry.
Had Asked Re-Examination.
Last Tuesday, Mr.. Lewis followed
up his plan by telegraphing union
district officers to reopen the mines
only after Government inspectors
had examined and termed them In
full conformity with the Federal
Mine Safety Code. Re-inspection of
all the mines would have required
several months.
The miners had been expected to
return to work last Monday after
the end of Mr.. Lewis six-day period
of mourning for the Ill miners killed
in the Centralia Qll) disaster.
All but handful Of UNIV mem
bers complied with Mr.. Lewis IN
structions an6 stayed home Monday.
However, each day after that found
more miners on the job despite the
fact that few pits had been REIN
spected. At the weeks end coal pro-
duction climbed back to about so per
cent of normal, although output may
have been lower yesterday since
number of mines are not open Sat-
urday.
In withholding action for two
weeks on a union petition for return
of $4,000, 900 posted as bond follow
ing the contempt of court conviction,
Justice Goldsborough warned Mr.
Lewis and the UNIV their recent
actions had not shown good faith"
compliance with Supreme Court
mandate to obey no-strike injunc-
ton. The Judge, in effect. held the
miners had been striking since be-
ginning the mourning period.
The Government had planned to
ask Justice Goldsborough to assess
additional penalties if substantial
number of the mines were still
closed on April "a when the case
next comes up. ~
The $780, 900 the union seeks rep
resents the difference between the
contempt fine of $3.500,000 Justice
Goldsborough assessed the UNIV and