Evening star., 1947-03-30
Leader of U. M. W.
Again Blasts Kruq;
Holiday Is Protest
MINERS TO FOLLOW LEWIS with
100 Per Cent Cooperation. AS.
(Tert of Le1Ois letter ON Page A-6. J
By jones Y. Newton

John L. Lewis yesterday called
on his 100000 soft coal miners to
stop work for six days beginning
tomorrow midnight and to OBJ
serve it as a period of mourning
for the miners who lost their
lives in the Centralia Ill.) ex-
plosion.
Blasting anew at Secretary of
Interior Krug for what he described
as criminal negligence" for "fail-
ure" to enforce the new Federal
Mine Safety Code, Mr.. Lewis de-
scribed the work stoppage as a pro-
test against "mismanagement" of
the mines since the Government
took them over under a strike
seizure order last May.
Reports from the coal fields left
no doubt the miners would follow
Mr.. Lewis directions.
The recommendation" that the
miners lay down their tools from
midnight tomorrow until midnight
next Sunday was made in letter
from Mr.. Lewis and other top Off
cials of the union to local officers
and members of the United Mine
Workers over the country. The
UNIV chief made the announce
ment dramatically and suddenly at
news conference yesterday after
noon. The $4,000 hard coal or an
thracite miners, mostly in Penn
sylvania, are not involved.
Lewis Castigates Krug.
Mr.. Lewis castigated Secretary
Krug. He read excerpts from the
work contract he made with Mr..
Krug last May 20 and from the
Safety Code, drafted under terms
of the contract, designed to show
that the Government had not COM
piled with the terms of either. The
Government has operated the mines
under the Krug-Lewis agreement
ever SINCE. Of Mr. Krug, the union
chief told reporters:
HE has dishonored his word. He
has lnutalized the mine workers
and te should be cast out of the
high Office he holds"
In his instructions to the miners
Mr.. Lewis said, "It is a sacred COIN
cidence that the greater part of
this designated period of mourning
will be during Holy Week."
Federal officials pointed out that
the time for beginning of the me-
mortal period coincided with the
expiration of the four month strike
truce set by Mr.. Lewis when he
ended the last strike December 7.
Until the Supreme Court ruled the
Government could enjoin a strike,
it was generally expected walkout
would begin at that time. Last
years 59-day strike also began April
l, as we'll as 1945 stoppage which
forced Federal seizure of over 200
mines.
Will Cost 10 Million Tons.
Coal officials estimated the six
day shutdown will cost the Nation
about 100000 tons of coal. Sup
plies of the fuel are such that it
will have little immediate effect at
least on the economy The miners
will draw no pay for the period.
Mr.. Lewis told reporters the me-
mortal period may be called without
violation of the court strike injunc-
ton or the Supreme Court mandate
supporting the order. He pointed to
a provision of the miners 1941 con-
tract with the coal industry which
was carried forward unamended
into the Krug-Lewis agreement. It
states:
THE International Union, United
Mine Workers of America, may des-
ignate memorial periods providing
it shall give proper notice to each
district
Men Will be Safe for Time.
"We hope that by calling attention
OF the Nation we will get enforce
ment of the Safety Code" Mr.. Lewis
told reporters. In any event, no
more men will die during the mourn
ing period. No more men will have
their eyes blasted out. They will be
safe for that time anyway"
Mr.. Lewis MADE public a letter
from DR.. R. R. Ssyers, director of
the Bureau of Mines, a part of Mr..
Krug's Interior Department. The
union head had written him request
ing mine inspection data. DIR. Say
ers stated that of 3,345 Federal mine
inspections in 1916 only two mines
were found complying entirely"
with safety regulations.
DR.. Sayers wrote that the average
mine was found to have q separate
safety code violations. MIR. Lewis
figured that by multiplying the
number of inspections by the 27
violation average there were a total
of 90,315 violations at the mines in
1916. He also held that since last
July 20, the date the Federal code
(See LEWIS, Page A-6)