Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-12
Business and Industry
Start Fast Comeback
After Coal Strike
By the Associated Press

BY the AsSociofed FreSS
NEW YORK, March 11.-Busi-
ness and industry began a snappy
comeback this week after almost
suffering a knockout blow by the
great coal strike of 1850.
The Nations business machine
was slow and uncertain Monday,
first work day after the new coal
contract was signed. 1t picked up
quickly. however, as armies of men
returned to the coal pits, the steel
mills, the railroads and other lines
Of business that had been severely
curtailed by the long and costly
strike,
BY the end of the week the Ma
tons industrial production was
within shooting distance of the
levels prevailing before February
6. 1t was on that day that the
coal showdown of last fall and
winter blossomed into a full
f1edged strike that started a chain
reaction which nearly f1oored bust
ness ana industry.
StatisticianS already have fig
ured out how much money the
miners lost in pay. how much the
coal operators lost in profits and
how much the railroads lost in
tonnage not moved. Some of the
loss is permanent, such as the
homeowner who had been using
coal and switched to oil. Much
of it will be recovered. But the
long-range economic consequences
have yet to come into focus.
Other Unions In Line.
1t seems certain that the $1.40-
a-day package increase won by
the miners will encourage other
big unions to go after more pay
and social benefits from other
such outfits like the automobile,
steel, farm equipment and electric
appliance industries.
The United Automobile Work
ers' Union has had Chrysler Corp.
tied up for month and half in
a dispute over pension plan.
The same union is repeatedly
preparing peppery dish of nom
wage and wage demands on Gen
eral Motors when it's contract ex-
pires in early spring. Other unions
undoubtedly are doing the same.
All this adds up to long odds
that upward pressure will be ap-
piled to prices of things you eat,
wear and use at a time when nor
NAL competitive conditions would
dictate breaks in your favor. In
recent months the overall price
structure has held remarkably
steady but individual items have
f1uctuated widely. If there's to be
new round of wage increases, a
new round of price hikes may not
be far behind.
Steel Mills Again Busy.
Steel mills and railroads got
back on the beam this week at
faster clip than other segments
Of business and industry with the
possible exception of retail trade.
Almost Immediately upon news of
the coal settlement, business be-
gan to pick up in stores across
the country. n
In the Pittsburgh district, United
States Steel Corp. mills which cut
back to so per cent of capacity
last week had stepped up oper-
atoms to IA per cent by Friday
night and planned to start out
Monday at SO per cent. Equally
good recovery was shown In the
Chicago and Cleveland districts.
Bethlehem Steel reported "re-
covery has advanced to the point
where we anticipate normal oper-
atoms by the first of next week"
That meant all mills would be
humming along at 95 to So per
cent of capacity.
Railroads also lost no time in
getting back on the beam after
all kinds of curtailments and by
week end most operations were
normal.
The half dozen big systems in
timately tied up with the for
tunes of soft coal were the busiest
Of all. Chesapeake & Ohio pushed
daily loadings at the point of
origin from 1880 cars on Monday
to $500 on Friday and kept right
on running full blast Saturday
in order to speed coal to distant
points.
Baltimore & Ohio, another big
coaler, recalled most of the 5000
workers furloughed during the
strike and operations stepped up
rapidly on the Western Maryland,
Virginian and Norfolk g. Western.