Evening star., 1948-04-29
Coal Operators Warn
Banks Against tCashing
Checks for Pensions
By jones Y. Newton

Soft coal operators today took
new action to block payment of 500
monthly pensions to the United
Mine Workers under the plan au-
thored by Senator Bridges, Repub-
lican, of New Hampshire.
Ezra Van Horn, operators trustee
for the UNIV Welfat Fund, called
on the two banks holding the fund
to stop payment or a checks not
bearing his signature. He wrote the
banks not to honor checks bearing
only the signatures of Senator
Bridges, the neutral trustee, and
John L. Lewis, the miners repre-
tentative
The Van Horn letter went to the
National Savings g. Trust Co. here,
where $33,O00,00o is deposited, and
to the Central National Bank of
Cleveland, which has about 81 ,000,-
600.
You are hereby notified and ad-
Vised," he wrote the banks, that
any monies that you may pay out
of said fund now on deposit in your
institution without my signature
and authorization, you shall do the
same at your own risk"
Copy of Suit IncIosed.
Mr.. Van Horn inclosed copy Of
the suit he has pending in District
Court to void the Bridges pension
plan and to hold Senator Bridges
and Mr. Lewis personally liable for
any payments made under it.
The operators representative told
neWsmen how Mr. Lewis and Sena-
tor Bridges at trustee meetings last
night and Monday pushed through
over his objections arrangements to
start pension payments and made
key appointments to administer the
welfare fund.
The appointments we're Mr.. Lewis
as administrator of the fund and
Miss Josephine Roche, associate of
Mr.. Lewis, as director. Mr.. Van
Horn said he protested that "neu-
trails" should be appointed to both
posts. He added that the two posts
had not even been created by joint
action of the three trustees.
Mr.. Lewis objected to giving con-
Sideration to any one other than
himself (as administrator Mr..
Van Horn said, "and no conSidera-
tion was given any one other than
himself. 1t is my view that the
law CTaft-Hartley Act and the
contract require joint management
of this fund. 1t is my firm opinion
that what transpired yesterday is
intended to give Mr.. Lewis charge |
of the entire fund and to appoint all |
personnel. I was not consulted"
Mr.. Van Horn added:
With the cooperation of Mr..
Bridges, Mr.. Lewis appointed Miss
Josephine Roche and attempted to !
give her power and authority to
sign checks from the fund.
80 If silence may be taken
as approval of this method of |
procedure and conduct, then Mr.. |
Bridges approved it, for he did not
object or protest"
Plans to Push Suit.
Mr.. Van Horn said Mr.. Lewis |
and Senator Bridges then decided |
TO take S5,00O0O0 Of the welfare
fund and to deposit it in a special
account to be used in payments of
the pensions. His letter to the
banks was intended also to halt
such a transfer.
Mr.. Van Horn said he intended |
to push his suit to void the Bridges
plan and TO have it concluded at |
the earliest possible moment"
Bitter Words Exchanged.
1t was understood that bitter
words were exchanged in the trus-
tees meeting yesterday, and that
Mr.. Lewis and Senator Bridges re-
fused to make available to MIR. Van
Horn the minutes Of an earlier meet
ing the three held last Monday.
The LeWis-Bridges plan calls for
payment of $100 monthly pensions
to miners 81 and older with 20 years
service in the mines. The men who
have retired since May %, 1946, also
would be given pensions. The plan
was voted over Mr. Van Horns
protests April II and led to settle
ment of the long mine pension
strike.
Actuarial experts have advised
the operators that the 10-cent-per-
ton royalty on ali coal produced,
which will yield about $5O,O0O,OOO
annually, will support pensions of
only $50 monthly to miners IS, and
older.
Agreement on One Move.
Mr.. Van Horn agreed to one move.
That was to invest $25,0O0,0OO of
the fund in short-term Government
bonds.
Miss Roche, an Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Treasury in early New
Deal days, has been associated with
Mr.. Lewis as a technical assistant
ano consultant since last December.
She is longtime close friend of
the UNIV chief and is head of the
Rocky Mountain Fuel Co., Denver.
Miss Roche. known as a liberal,
was the first mine operator in Colo
rado to recognize Mr.. Lewis union.
She Is an ardent supporter of trade
unions and has had a long career
in social work. She served on an
advisory council that assisted in
drawing up the Social Security Act
in 1884.