Evening star., 1947-03-31
Government Is Wary
OF Lega|ities Involved
In Mine Stoppage
BY the Assoeicfsd Press

@41S 0sSAAAACi4t ACpt q wal
eye on its soft coal mines today
to determine whether the six
day mourning period decreed by
John L. Lewis might begin ahead
Of time and fail to end on
schedule.
Mr.. Lewis called out his 4oo, ,00(
soft coal miners for a memorial lay
off from midnight tonight through
Easter Sunday in honor of the Ill
victims of the Centralia Ill.)
disaster.
While the mines are idle, Mr.
Lewis told reporters in announcing
his action, there will be no mer
die; at least they will be safe while
they're mourning" .,-'.
Mr.. Lewis insisted that his con-
tract with the Government, which
carried over provisions from preced-
ing agreements with the bituminous
operators, authorized such memorial
holidays.
Secretary of the Interior Krug
head Of the Government-seized coal
mines administration, in a state
ment issued here last night, said
he would not engage in any con-
troversy over the mine catastrophe
and expressed his sympathy for the
families of the miners.
No Court Action in Siphf
Even if any legal question arose
In the minds of Federal officials, it
appeared doubtful that they planned
any immediate repetition of the
court fight last fall which resulted
in contempt fines for Mr.. Lewis and
his United Mine Workers.
Mr.. Lewis is due to settle up that
fine Thursday in District Court, JUS
tice T. Alan Goldsborough's court
room. If the jurist decides that
the Holy Week idle period ordered
by Mr.. Lewis does not alter his
compliance with the Supreme
Courts order in the contempt case,
the UNIV will get back $4,000 of
its $500, 900 fine. The Supreme
Court said penalty of 100000
against the union would be ade-
quate for ignoring Justice Colds
borough's restraining order last No
vember 81 and shutting down the
mines. Mr.. Lewis personal fine of
$4,000 was allowed to stick.
Justice Goldsborough would not
comment on the case to a reporter
when asked whether he himself
might summon Mr.. Lewis to explain
the new stoppage.
Want Time for Study.
Attorney General Clark and his
assistant, John F. Sonnet, who
pursued the injunction suit against
MIR. Lewis and his striking miners,
said they wanted to study the new
situation further. But other officials
indicated there was no inclination
to punish Mr.. Lewis, if they could,
for this weeks idleness.
But such industry spokesmen as
chose to comment tore. into Mr..
Lewis action in contrast to the at
titude of Mr.. Krug, whose custer
MIR. Lewis demanded.
The UNIV chief accused Mr.. Krug
of criminal negligence" in the
Centralia blast. He said Federal in
spectors had reported hazardous
conditions at the Illinois mine and
that the Coal Mines Administration
had not closed the mine or removed
the operating manager, as the con-
tract said it might. ~
Krug Made Contract.
It was Mr.. Krug who made the
contract with Mr.. Lewis under
which the mines have been operated
by the Government since their seiz-
ure last May. during the 59-day
spring strike. Among other conces-
sions, Mr.. Krug agreed to install a
Federal mine safety code in the
Government operated mines - a
point fiercely contested by the op-
orators who said it would cost them
impossible sums of money.
The Secretary issued this state
AISilG yCotCIuoy.
THE tragic explosion at Centralia
Mine No. S has claimed Ill victims,
leaving their bereaved families
without their support.
MY sympathy for them is too
profound to permit me to debate or
to gloss over their misery by engag-
ing in any press controversy over
the catastrophe or its causes.
1.-THE facts will be known only up
on the completion of the several in
vestigations of the disaster now
under way by the special Senate
Committee, by the special board ap-
pointed by the Governor of Illinois,
and by the Bureau of Mines of the
Department Of the Interior.
"As soon as possible I shall trans
NIT to Chairman Guy Gordon of the
Senate committee a report on the
overall safety conditions in Amer
ican soft coal mines and, so far as
they are now known, in the Gen.
tralia mine"
Senator Gordon, Republican, of
Oregon is chairman of a Senate
Public Lands Subcommittee ap-
pointed to investigate mine safety.