DIRECTION OBEYED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 217, 9 June 1943, Page 5

DIRECTION OBEYED

U.S. Coal Miners Back At

Work Received June 8, 10.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 7. Most of the nation’s 500,000 soft coal miners returned to the pits today in accordance with President Roosevelt s direction, beginning a fortnight s. truce. The operators and Mr. J. L. Lewis have resumed negotiations amid reports <n dissensions among the operators on the question of whether they should seek a new contract or request the War Labour Board to adjudicate on all the issues. The Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Ickes, disclosed that last week’s strike meant the loss of 11,000,000 tons of coal, “substantially interfering with the conduct of the war and the nation’s ability to provide coal for heating next winter.* Mr. Ickes telegraphed Mr. Lewis, urging the United Mine Workers Association to get the workers still idle in three Pennsylvanian mines to return to their jobs. A correspondent was at the pit-head in West'Virginia as the night shift came off. He said that the men were delighted to be on the job again. They hope and believe they will have a new contract before June 20, the dead-line set by Mr. John L. Lewis for the end of the truce. Their troubles qre-the rising prices and the high wages paid in the new defence plants. The correspondent said that in West Virginia there is no ill-feeling between the miners and the owners, though they are very conscious of the conflict of personalities confusing the issue in Washington. <The feeling may not be the same further south, where the miners’ unions are much newer and are still resented by some of the owners.

Congress is working hard to get the anti-strike Bill through before June 20.