COUNTING THE COST IN IDLENESS

Chronicle (Levin), 29 November 1946, Page 5

COUNTING THE COST IN IDLENESS

Reeeived Tluirsdav, 7.10 p.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 28. Wliile the Court ad.journed the. contem]»t hearing against Mr. Lewis until tomorrow, a survey showed 00,000 already rendered idle in the eoal consuining industries. An industrial spokesiimii preilieted that the nuniber would be niore than doubled within a week if the stoppage continued. The eivilian production administraI ion chief, Mr. .fohn Sinai], reported that industrial output at the end of October was 81 per cent. above the average of the late 1030 's but the coal strike w'as now threatening to "shove production liaek down the ladder. A prolonged slmtdown of the niinos wil! liit industrv faster and harder than it did last spring." Mr. Small added that steel mills were already banking furnaees and might be forced to reduce operations by 50 per cent. within a fortnight. The automobile industrv, although not liit seriouslv so far, will close down for Thanksgiving Holidav today and will not resunie until December 2 to eon serve coal. The production of 25,000 units wil] thus bc lost. 'fjlie production rate of 3,-100,000 cars yearlv before the strike is only 0 per cent. below 1941. The Secretarv of the. Treasurv, Mr. Snvder, expressed fears for national revenues if the stopjiage was prolonged. Ile added that the Treasurv was study ing the situation carefully. Just before tlie stoppage began revenue was holding well to the record peac-etime year's collection of 39,000,000 dollars. A leading Iiepublican, Senator Joseph B.'tll, told the National Press Clnbr "Tliis is more like an insurrection than a labour disputc. 1 would like to see the President and Secretarv of the ln terior Ivrug, go 011 tlie radio and into tlie Press to make clear to tlie miners that tliis is the issue. Air. Lewis is building up pressure for new labour laws everv day." Fiftv t'housand Denver (Colorado) public school pupils reported to unheated classrooms long enough to be given homework tasks which will be augmenled by radio lessons.