Evening star., 1948-04-06
Strike Spreadsto Anthracite Area
As u. S. Waits for Lewis Answer;
Operators Offer to Confer Today
Government Hints
DeudIine for UNIV
Will Be Tomorrow
BULLETIN


Obeying a court order, soft
coal operators offered today to
meet with John L. Lewis on
the mine pension dispute.
They proposed a conference
at 4 pm, just three hours
after the offer was made.
There was no immediate indi-
cation whether Mr.. Lewis
would accept.
The soft coal strike spread to-
day to the Eastern Pennsylvania
anthracite region as the Govern
ment waited for John L. Lewis
answer to a court back-to-work
order.
Hard coal miners reported for
work at a dozen mines in the Potts
vile area today, but refused to go
into the mines. A preliminary
check by the Associated Press Stow
ed approximately 1000 men ae.
Total employment in the a; y =
cite field is ABOUT 80,UuU.
This development caught Govern
nent and even union officials by
surprise.
One Federal attorney expressed
belief it may speed court action
against Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV
The attorney said the walkout OF
anthracite miners had put differ
ent light on the case.
An official of Mr.. Lewis United
Mine Workers, John Eagan of dis
trict 9, said the new stoppage 'ap-
parently is in sympathy with the
bituminous miners"
Its something the men decided
themselves" Mr.. Eagan told a re-
porter. There hasn't been any
order by the district and the dis
trict has not sanctioned the strike.
Operators Get No Warning.
Operators said they had no ad-
vance warning.
Edward A. Lynch, personnel di-
rector of the big Pennsylvania and
Reading Coal g. Iron Co., said he
had no idea of any grievance" He
said the stoppage came without
warning" to the company.
Output of the big United States
Steel Corp. began to reel under i'm
pact of the soft-coal shutdown to-
day.
Iraausurating It's first heavy cut
back Of the walkout. Big Steel
closed two rolling mills, three more
blast furnaces and II open hearths
at its Pittsburgh Youngstown works.
This means the loss of 1000 tons Of
steel daily, a corporation spokesman
said, The Carnegie-Il Illinois Steel
Corn, United States Steel sub
sidiary, now has seven blast furnaces
banked and 81 still operating in this
region.
In MARYLAND the Bethlehem Steel
Co. ordered lay-offs OF 5000 workers
at its Sparrows Point plant. The
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad an
nounced It had laid OH another
$500 workers.
AS the strike spread from the soft
to the hard coal regions, Govern
nent attorneys refused to reveal
heir timetable for proceeding
,gainst Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV.
They limited that the deadline Tor
compliance with the court order may
come tomorrow.
Contempt Citation Expected.
Mr.. Lewis or his attorneys would
',ave to do one of these things to
avert q breakdown:
l. Send the nearly 100000 soft
coal miners back to work, ending
the strike over pensions which
started March Is.
2. Fight the temporary restrain
ing order itself by challenging its
constitutionality or asking the court
to dissolve it on other grounds.
II Mr.. Lewis elected to do moth
ing the next move appeared likely
to be a contempt of court citation.
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough,
who 1s months ago fined the union
$3,500.000 and Mr.. Lewis $4,000 for
ignoring another back-to-work Or
der, was due to receive any motions
which Mr.. Lewis or the Govern
n1ent might offer. The unions fine
(See COAL Page A-5.)