Evening star., 1950-02-23
$4,000 Workers Face
layoff as Coal Tieup
Closes Steel Plants
by The Assoeioied Press

SCTdpeQ tIle DOtCOm OF lCS coal Dln
The coal crisis reached the mass
layoff stage.
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp,
the Nations fourth largest steel
producer. started closing its plants
in Pittsburgh and nearby Aliquip-
pa. That will make $4,000 idle.
The big steel firms own mines
have been closed by the Nation
wide strike of the $4,000 United
Mine Workers who refuse to obey
the cease-strike command of their
chief, John L. Lewis.
The Jones & Laughlin employees
will boost the Nations strike idle
in allied Industries to 1880.
Other segments of the steel in
dustry have banked several blast
furnaces.
Is Per Cent Cutback Seen.
Iron Age, an industry trade
journal, estimates steel mills gen.
orally will be forced to cut blast
furnace operations by as much as
rs per cent next week.
Virtually all industry is feeling
the pinch of the dwindling coal
stock pile.
New York State clamped a
virtual ban on the sale of soft coal,
except to high priority consumers.
The action came through estab-
lishment of an ALLEGATION Ger
tificate system that provided the
severest rationing yet ordered by
Gov. Dewey. State Coal Admin
istrator Bertram D. Tallamy said
the new system meant nobody
will get any soft coaI' except hos
pitfalls, food processing plants,
municipal water works and other
top priority consumers.
Ohio Shortage More Acute.
Gov. Lausche of Ohio tele-
graphed President Truman that
1.-The coal supply in Ohio is grow
ing acutely scarce" He also is
sued a proclamation appealing to
Ohioans to conserve fuel.
About 10000 workers in indus
trial plants at Erie Pa, will be
laid off two days next week unless
there's an immediate break in the
strike.
Mayor Clarence K. Pulling, who
ordered a city-wide brownout and
declared a fuel emergency, ap-
pointed committee which,:
/. Ordered industries to close
next Sunday and Monday and to
be prepared for another day-long
shutdown later next week.
2. Set up an II pm. closing
hour for bars. clubs and other
places which ordinarily close at
2am.
8. Ordered discontinuance Of
Monday night shopping hours for
stores and told owners of office
buildings to keep temperatures at
IS to 68 degrees.
Utility Low on Coal.
Mayor Pulling said the Pennsyl-
vania Electric Co., only utility in
the lake port of 100000, has only
q 13-day supply Of coal.
Erie's situation, while worse
than some communities, is similar
to conditions in towns across the
land.
Schools are closing in many
areas.
Coal rationing is widespread
and even coal centers like Pitts
burgh are feeling the pinch.
Retail coal merchants told Pitts
burgh Mayor David L. Lawrence
that heating equipment in insti-
tutions is facing imminent break
downs. They explained the insti-
tutions are using vastly inferior
quality coal-the only fuel avail
able.
Meanwhile. State police and
rowing pickets played a grim game
of "hide-and-go-seek" while non
union miners carried guns to en-
force their right to work during
the strike.
Highways Patrolled.
Western Pennsylvania ice
coated highways were patrolled by
State policemen on the alert for
new outbreaks such as occurred
sporadically yesterday.
Peace officers in other soft coal
producing States, including West
Virginia, also feared new violence.
Three diggers were beaten
yesterday at strip (surface)
mine near Clearfield, Pa. The
men who inflicted the beatings
promised to return in full
strength today.
A 200-man caravan also struck
two mines near Pittsburgh and
five truck drivers were forced to
dump their loads of coal.
Mine Equipment Wrecked.
Sledge hammers were used to
wreck coal mine equipment at
two strip mines near Ligonier,
Pa, and coal was dumped at
big loading platform near Muir
raysville, Pa.
In West Virginia, peace officers
cracked down on "a pickets ar
rested earlier in the week on
charges of conspiracy. Fourteen
Nicholas County men were held
in $1,000 bail each for the Green
brier grand jury in April. Nine
teen other men and women were
ordered to appear for hearing
before a magistrate Saturday.
In Kentucky. the Knox County
grand jury continued its investi-
cation Of disturbances at two
mines peor Rarho,1rSuj1lo