Evening star., 1948-04-08
Heavy Penalty,
Or backdown,
Lewis Choice
Signs Now Indicate
Miners Plan Fight
To Finish in Court
By james Y. Newton

John L. Lewis was faced today
with the decision of calling of
the 25-day soft coal strike, which
he says he did not start, or TAX
ing the chance of heavy con-
tempt of court penalties for
himself and the United Mine
Workers.
There was no sign that he and
the union intend to comply with
the back-to-work District Court
order which yesterday brought a
contempt citation from Justice T.
Alan Goldsborough.
In fact, all signs indicated that
Mr.. Lewis was preparing for a fin
ish fight in court with the Govern
ment. which is attempting to use
Taft Hartley Act machinery to end
the economy Gripping strike. Mr..
Lewis hates the labor law with a
passion and has told friends he
would never heel in to any of its
provisions.
New Injunction Threat.
Meanwhile, the UNIV faced the
threat of an injunction from an
other direction. one charging re-
fusal to bargain with an accredited
representative of the coal industry.
Joseph E. Moody, president of the
Southern Coal Producers Associa-
tion, said he will ask Robert N.
Denham, general counsel of the
National Labor Relations Board, to
obtain a mandatory court order
directing the union to bargain with
him. The association claims to rep
resent operators producing third
of the total national soft coal
tonnage.
Representatives Of the UNIV and
operators spent five hours late yes
terday and more time today wran-
Cling over Mr.. Moody's authority to
speak for the Southern mine owners
in negotiations under way at the
Shoreham Hotel. The union chal-
lenged Mr.. Moody on the grounds
that neither he nor his associates
signed the present coal contract.
Until the situation is clarified, pos
sibly by the NLRB action. Mr.. Moody
will stay in the conference as ne
gotiator for a single coal company.
Little Hope in Meetings.
The meetings, which promise
nothing toward settling the dis
pute over a pension for the mine
workers that touched off the strike,
are being held in accordance with
the restraining order of Justice Mat
thew r. Mcclure. 1t directed both
sides to settle their pension contro-
versy and ordered Mr.. Lewis and
the union not to permit the strike
to continue.
Mr.. Lewis was conspicuously abb
sent from the meetings of yesterday
and this morning. There was some
hint that he might show up this
afternoon.
Mr.. Lewis stayed away yester-
day because two top industry
officials refused to attend. They
are Benjamin F. Fairless, presiden.
Iof the United States Steel Corp,
and George M. Humphrey, chairman
of the huge Pittsburgh Consolida-
ton Coal Co. Mr.. Fairless and Mr.
Humphrey were instrumental in he
gotiating the present contract with
its provision for pensions and Mr.
Lewis says negotiations without
them are 'forlorn gestures"
Court Fight Set for Monday.
The next phase in the court bat
tie over the strike is scheduled for
Justice Goldborough's court on
Monday at 10 am. He is the judge
who in December, 1916, fined Mr..
Lewis and the UNIV $3,510,000 for
ignoring similar understanding
order. The Supreme Court later
reduced it to $4,000.
Justice Goldsborough signed an
order prepared by the Justice De-
partment calling on Mr.. Lewis and
the UNIV to show cause" Mon
day why they should not be held