Show Merry Merry-Go Merry Go Round National Coal Strike Seems Sure By Drew P Pearson arson WASHINGTON S Several e v e r a l backstage e developments point with almost tragic certainty to a wide nation-wide coal strike on April 1 despite the present desperate desper desper- esper- esper ate coal shortage They are aret 1 John L. L Lewis has rejected re rejected re- re the proposal of or Fuel AdmInistrator Administrator Ad Ad- Administrator Ickes to continue the present coal agreement for another year ear 2 Lewis has also rejected Ickes' Ickes proposal that negotiations for a new wage agreement begin begin begin be be- be- be gin earlier than March 1 thus giving coal operators and miners more time to sign sig-n a contract 3 Within a few weeks Lewis' Lewis United Mine Workers Workers' union finally will be taken into the American Federation of Labor Labor La La- bor at which time several everal A F L leaders will back him in trying trying- to break the little steel formula on behalf of the miners This latter point is where C CIO I A O-A F L rivalry comes in in C CIO I 0 Chief Phil Murray tried to up the little steel formula on behalf behal of the steel workers but failed Now if the A F L through John L. L Lewis can do what Phil Murray failed to do even if It it throws the entire country into an even more serious se serious serious se- se rious coal crisis it will be regarded re regarded regarded re- re as a big victory What Lewis W Wants i W V What h hat a t Lewis demands is a wage differential differential dif dif- differential for miners working the second and third shifts plus more daily for travel underground to and from the them m mouth 0 u th of ot the mine plus a straight wage increase Last year it was recognized that the miners had nad suffered in comparison with wages paid in other industries But this year Economic Stabilizer Vinson believes be- be believes believes be be- the wage situation is more nearly balanced and is flatly opposed opposed opposed op op- posed to giving Lewis anywhere near what he is demanding To Todo Todo Todo do so would not only break the little steel formula but shoot a agap agap agap gap in the dike against inna- inna tion So it looks as if there will willbe be bea a sure showdown on April 1 1 The coal crisis points to one result of postponing a decision on a new secretary of labor Miss Perkins Is staying on the job by request her heart not in the work and never able to cope with these big strikes Meanwhile some White House advisers suggest that various moves could be made in advance ad- ad advance advance ad ad- vance to head off John L. L Lewis such as bringing home several hundred decorated heroes who live Uve In mine areas and who could Impress the miners with what coal means at the front However there there there-is is no sighted far-sighted secretary of labor on the job to head off a national catastrophe Gen Elliott Roosevelt It didn't leak out of the senate military affairs committee but last week its new chairman Sen Elbert D D. D Thomas of Utah made a deft m move o 0 v e probably aimed to facilitate confirmation confirmation confirmation confirma confirma- tion of Elliott Roosevelt as a brigadier general Hitherto all military promotions promotions promotions promo promo- sent to the senate have been sent to a military affairs subcommittee headed by Happy Chandler of Kentucky for tiny This committee has then recommended passing or rejectIng rejecting rejecting reject- reject Ing the promotions However Thomas told his colleagues last week that this committee had been rather cumbersome cumbersome cumbersome cum cum- and he believed It should be disposed with At this point Sen Chandler spoke up and without an any irritation irritation irritation tation remarked Im not looking for a job for myself but I think it would be a mistake not to examine these nominations Ive I've been chairman of this subcommittee for so long that I dont don't know that Id I'd want to continue anyway anyway anyway any any- way but I do feel that no man should hold the high place of general in the United States army without a group of senators senators senators sena sena- tors looking into his record and studying it carefully Several other senators agreed with Chandler but nevertheless nevertheless less it was decided for the time being to take military promotions promotions promotions promo promo- up in full committee The full committee therefore was sitting when young Roosevelt's name was voted out of ot the committee committee com com- committee for confirmation Had a subcommittee handled the matter matter matter mat mat- ter it might have been bottled up considerably longer Under the Dome Currie Curne whom the president said could not be spared from the White House Howe staff on loan to the foreign n economic administration administration ad ad- administration ad- ad ministration any longer now is going to Switzerland to negotiate negotiate negotiate ne- ne ne ne- a new treaty Loo Looks s like he could be spared after all As a result of Ed new instructions to state department to write personal cozy letters heis he heIs heIs Is now called The Dale Carnegie Carnegie Carnegie Car Car- negie of ot Diplomacy Henry Wallace Vallace Is winning a significant significant significant cant victory this week as the state department signs a new tin agreement with Bolivia Two years ago when he was In charge of ot economic warfare Wallace Vallace tried to sign sig-n a treaty with Bolivia Bolivia Bo Bo- Bo- Bo livia stipulating that the Increased in increased increased in- in creased prices we paid for tin would be passed along to workers workers work work- ers in increased wages But the state department said no This week however the thc tate department department department de de- de- de is signing sig-ning a new agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment and this time Wallaces Wallace's proposal to benefit the men who mine the tin Un Is written into the text Copyright 1945 Bell Syndicate |