| Show Return f to o AFt Hinges On Trimming of j c. c 0 A W J J Tt t 1 cl Mme Mui Worker iUM UM V W to ta the American n F ro b ot A F FL L II hing hinged d Wednesday i it was vas r reported ported on a deaf whereby re Y U M W yv President John L L. L Lewis would woud be given a rather fre free hand In in the coal belt provided he gives up organizing workers in other fields Labor spokesmen me g fh r-n g from the U M A V F FL L conference on the proposed merger Tuesday disclosed this plan was in th the wind O One One Lewis f Lewis and his U M W would be given jurisdiction as as virtually vir virtually virtually vir- vir the sole craft uhl unton union n for for coal diggers This wo woUld ld in effect effect ef ef- ef- ef feet freeze the charter and in time abolish the Progressive Miners Miners Min Mm- ers era the A F L' L L's Ls mine which Is s strong in Illinois Indiana and parts of Kentucky f. f Indicate Progress Lewis took back to his man WOman policy committee Wednesday a rc- rc port ort on the conversations with three A F L vice presidents D Daniel Iniel A. A Tobin A F L vice president resident serving as chairman of the he committee considering the application application ap ap- ap- ap before its presentation to the he A F L e executive council next month in Chi Ch Chicago ago indicated some progress ha had l been made at Tuesdays Tuesdays Tuesdays Tuesday's Tues Tues- days day's conference but just how much he would not say The outlook for he told reporters looks somewhat better Lewis hand handed d reporters a brief prepared statement on which he declined to elaborate He referred to the U M I W as a going concern concern con con- cern ern which has proposed rejoinIng rejoining rejoining rejoin rejoin- ing the A F L in the interest of unifying the policies policies' of organized labor The U M W the Lewis Lews statement statement state state- ment read accepts the Am American Federation of Labor as it ex now and expects the American Federation of Labor to accept the United Mine Workers as it now exists Ticklish h Problems While the tI ticklish merger problems problems problems lems commanded the attention of the U UM M W poli policy y committee it italio also alio was concerned with the gen gen- gen gen- I c oral eral al c coal al situation n an and the he t UM Ws W's s 's I demand for increases largely large large- J ly in the form of portal pay which the war labor bo board rd W L has refused to Jo approve The miners may take to the courts courtS' sted by the h WL B their fight for pay for th the time times timea s a pe h n t traveling underground The There was There e was a possibility y t too toot o that the operators I might go go into ino litigation liti Uti- liti- liti gation gatlon on the issue issue- Edward Burke Burle head of the Southern Coal Producers Producers' association disclosed his group was considering a friendly suit to get a judicial determination determination determination de de- de- de termination of the question Meanwhile Carl CarlE E. E Newton Newt n. n di directo director di- di rector recto of ot federal coal mining operations op op- cr er warned th that t the government govern govern- men ment would tighten its c control of mines unless labor relations were ironed out In a sp speech ech echt t to the American Mining congress congre s at Cincinnati Cin Cm- Ohio Newton said he hoped th the operators and the U M W soon would solve their differences difference so that the workings could b S' S returned to their owners w without risking further walkouts |
