The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-09-19
GOAL MINES
 SHUT DOWN
 BY WALk0UT
Thousands of Men 1 cave Pits Over Nation Lewis
 Suspends Pension Fund

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 19-lR-Coal mines shut down across the na- tion today as John l.. Lewis diggers struck again on their own-this time crying "No Pension, No Work!"
 Violence broke out quickly in West Virginia. Three employees of a strip mine-where coal veins close to the surface are stripped by power shovels-said they were beaten by members of motorized rowing picket caravan. Some 1000 pickets toured roads in search of non-union operators still open. Thirteen truckloads of coal were dumped.
 Production of anthracite (hard coaD and bituminous (soft coaD is being choked off by anger of the United Mine Workers over Presi- dent Lewis suspension of pension and welfare fund payments.
 Actually, miners pent-up feelings are aimed at southern coal op- orators who refused any more 20 cent per ton royalty payments in- to the welfare fund until a new contract is signed. The refusal prompted Lewis suspension of well fare benefits. At least 480,000 members in 20 states are expected to be idle by nightfall.
 Lewis said the welfare pay stop is due to the fund running low on cash. But it's all part of the UNIV fight for new contract. He's deadlocked with operators af- ter prolonged talks.
 Midnight Walkout
 Walkouts started last midnight and gained headway over the coal fields today as -to-work whis- ties blew in vain. UNIV leaders insisted the unions rank and file is acting on its own initiative, that Lewis has issued no strike call. He never does.
 West Virginia, biggest soft coal producing state, reported its 10000 miners joining the stoppage.
 Pennsylvania, No. ? on the pro- ducing parade, saw miners refus- ing to show up at pits across the state. The Western Pennsylvania Coal Operators Association said no miners were working in the rich bituminous belt employing 56,000. All big mines in central Pennsyi- vania, employing 45,000 also were shut down.
 Talk Go Home
 Only few of eastern Pennsyl- vania's 80,000 hard coal miners showed up for work. They sit around and talked for a while and then went home. The great ma jority never reached the mines. Many industry leaders had expect ed the hard coal mines to continue working since the operators have continued royalty payments. The anthracite pension funds is admin istered separately from the bitum- inous fund.
 The United States Steel Corpora tion said all its coal mining op- erations in Pennsylvania, West Vir- ginia and Kentucky were closed with 16,00O men idle.
 The walkouts following weekend strategy meetings by UNIV locals throughout the country began when 5000 Wyoming and Utah miners marched from the pits. They act ed soon after Lewis shut off pen sion pay.
 GLENRIDGE, H., Sept. 19-tR- The miners own the mine here. So when they joined the cross country United Mine Workers walkout to- day, they walked out on them selves.
 Of the IS UNIV, 120 of them own $200 worth of stock each-the limit allowed-in the Marion coun- ty Coal Corporation. It's the sole industry in this southern Illinois village of 300.
 The business of walking out on themselves is an old story to them because they have quit producing coal when the rest of the UNIV has quit since their cooperative mine venture was born in 194Q.