MINERS ORDERED BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 102, 13 February 1950, Page 3

MINERS ORDERED BACK.

COURT GRANTS INJUNCTION LEWIS TELLS MEN TO OBEY (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright) WASHINGTON, February 11. The Federal Court for the District of Columbia tb-day ordered the soft-coal miners to resume work for 10 days, pending the hearing on February 20 of the Government’s application for an 1 injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act. The injunction would require the miners to resume work for 80 days and negotiate with the owners in “good faith.” President Truman, in asking the Court for the 10-day order, said that a continuation, of the soft-coal strike would “imperil the nations’ safety and health.” It is reported unofficially that coal stocks throughout the nation average only 15. days’ supply. Mr Tru man’s action was based on the report of his fact-finding boards. The Court to-day, in a separate action, ordered the United Mine Workers in their discussions with the owners to eliminate all but wage demands until the National Labour Relations Board had decided: whether other claims, including increased royalty payments to the welfare fund, constitute unfair labour practices.

The president of the United Mine Workers (Mr John I. Lewis) has sent a message to union officials instructing them to act according to the Court’s orders. Mr Lewis also notified the soft-coal operators that he was prepared to meet them in Washington on Wednesday to resume contract negotiations.

Union officials said that they would follow the instructions from Mr Lewis, but most said that they doubted whether the miners would obey the order tp return to work. Mr Lewis told Mr Truman on February 4 that it . was “questionable” whether the miners could be driven back to work by “the legal blackjack” of the Taft-Hartley Act. If the -miners refused to reopen the pits Mr Lewis might have to prove to the Court that his back-to-work order was not really a veiled signal to continue the strike.