Evening star., 1948-04-22
Trustees Meet Today
To Draw Up Rules
For Coal Pensions
1Y the Assoeiofed Press

OcAAAA A<s A9S W 40 4AAoNSo OoAay w
put his $100-a-month miners
pension plan into effect-despite
blunt notice that he may have
to foot the bill himself.
Meanwhile approximately 100000
more soft coal miners answered Mr.
Lewis return-to-work call. Incorl-
plete reports indicated at least $780,
600 of the 100000 bituminous miners
are now back at work.
The mine union boss called a
meeting at 4:30 pm of the three
man trustee board responsible for
administering the still-unta
s32,o0O,Ooo miners welfare fund.
The purpose of the session pre-
sumably was to consider definite
rules for paying $100 monthly pen
sions to miners 81 or older. Such
payments were agreed on in prin-
ciple by two of the three trustees,
M. Lewis, representing the union,
and Senator Bridges, Republican,
of New Hampshire, the neutral
member.
Ezra Van Horn, the third trustee,
representing the coal mine owners,
filed suit in District Court yester-
day asking that Mr.. Lewis and
Senator Bridges be held personally
liable for any money spent from
the fund on the Lewis-BridgeS
pact terms.
Two Main Reasons.
Mr.. Van Horn said the plan is
illegal under the Taft-Hartley Labor
Act for two main reasons:
l. Senator Bridges never had any
legal right to vote on how the money
is to be spent, because the law says
the employer representative is the
one to do the agreeing-and Mr.. Van
Horn disagreed to the Lewis-Bridges
plan.
2. The reason he disagreed to it
was that it would pay pensions to
miners for whom no contributions
have been made to the fund. He
said this, too, is barred by law.
Meanwhile, miners were trooping
back to the pits in growing num-
bers today to speed the flow Of
coal to industry.
Work resumption was heavy in
the big coal States-West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Ohio
besides Illinois, Alabama, Colorado,
Virginia and Tennessee.
The rapidly shrinking list of idle
now embraced these States: West
Virginia, 10000; Pennsylvania, 49,
$50; Kentucky, 5000; Alabama, Vir-
ginia and Tennessee, all about 1000
each; Utah, 900. Five comparatively
small producing areas were unre-
ported.
A temporary injunction forbid
ding q coal strike for an indefinite
period was issued in District Court
yesterday. Mr.. Lewis already has
been fined $4,000 and his United
Mine Workers Union 81 400, 900 for
criminal contempt for failing to
obey an original restraining order.
New Action Possible Tomorrow.
And the Judge who did the fning,
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough, has
ordered Mr.. Lewis to be back in court
tomorrow morning for sentencing on
civil contempt of the Strike-end
order. There was every indication
it would go hard MIL Lewis if his
men aren't'back by then - -
The coal strike started March is.
Mr.. Lewis and the miners were
angry because they had been unable
to get Mr.. Van Horn to agree on
plan for spending the 10-cent a ton
royalty money for pension, sickness,
death, and other miners benefits.
The strike ran full blast for four I
weeks: Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Van Horn /
finally agreed on Senator Bridges |
as the neutral trustee" for the fund
and on April IL the Bridges-Lewis
plan was announced. 80
Mr.. Van Horns suit asks courts
order to prevent spending any of
the fund on the temporary basis
worked out by Senator Bridges and
Mr.. Lewis. But the injunction can't
be issued for some time because,
under court rules, Senator Bridges
and Mr.. Lewis have 20 days toI
answer the suit. i
Seeks to Protect Himself. j
The reason Mr.. Van Horn wants
the injunction, he said, is to pro
tect himself from any personal
liability arising out of any improper
or illegal disbursement from said
fund"
In other words. Mr.. Van Horn feels
that If he allows the fund to be
spent in manner he considers il
legal he may be held personally re-
sponsible later on.
Mr.. Van Horn said he thinks it
violates the Taft-Hartley law to pay
pensions to miners who retired be-
fore July l, 1947-the date the pres
ent contract took effect-or to
miners whose employers are not pay
ing royalties into the fund. The
LeWis-Bridges plan, Mr.. Van Horn
estimates, are members of Mr.. Lewis
union but are not employed by coal
mine owners who pay royalties.
UNIV district presidents, using