| Show Ickes Waits Mine Seizure Order As Coal Shortage Grows Acute WASHINGTON April 5 GS UP R- R Solid Fuels Administrator Ickes said he hoped to receive an order for government seizure of soft coal coalmines coalmines coalmines mines Thursday I Terming t the e coal situation worse woi th than n unfortunate unfortunate- te l I Ickes kes I Isaid said at his news conference that 13 3 blast furnaces of the United States Steel Corp have shut down and that 20 more will be down by Friday noon We Ve c are headed toward a serious serious serious seri seri- ous i interruption in the production of ot steel he said He added that I dont don't think we ought to wait watt at all before taking over the mines I I need the authority however yeve he said The war labor board must forward a certification to to the president and the president must issue the o order I hope that will be done at once I The solid fuels furls administrator asked if he had communicated his views to the thc W L B said that tha this his his- office e was in constant touch with the agency and that he hi himself had been in communication with the president As Ickes spoke reports from the soft coal areas areaS' indicated that at l least ast of the miners still remained away from their theft jobs despite United Mine Workers' Workers P President John L L. Lewis' Lewis r request qUest that they continue work at least until May 1 while a new contract is being negotiated The S SF F A has estimated the absenteeism Is costIng costing cost- cost Ing irig production of from to t t tons ns of bituminous coal daily dally John L. L Lewis undeterred by his deadlock with bituminous coal producers producer's left the same contract demands with anthracite operators operators operators oper oper- plus some new postwar Q ob objectives objectives ob- ob They would give the hard coal min miners rs a 25 2570 pay boost In all the mine leader tossed 30 demands at the anthracite producers producers pro pro- duc r at at the e o opening opening- gi of negotiations Lions in fn New Y York rk Wednesday He made 18 demands on th the bituminous operators The New York sessions were re recessed recessed re- re until Tuesday to permit the op operators to study the de de- de mands One was f far a lOc a ton royalty for m medical aid economic protection a request that would add about to the 60 60 the United Mine Workers St. St Pace lage Eleven Column Five ekes Ickes Waits Wats Presidential Order to Take Mines Mines- As Coal Shortage Situation Grows Critical Continued From Par Pace Ont One would receive from a soft coal royalty While absenteeism In soft coal coalmines coalmines coalmines mines declined Wednesday it still was widespread as Lewis returned to Washington to pick up the fast- fast deteriorating negotiations with operators Few would predict that It still was possible to reach agreement as on any of ot the soft coal demands Failure to agree on contract negotiations would send the entire entire entire en en- tire case to the war labor board for decision on all of Lewis' Lewis de de- de- de mands Some operators thought this stage would be reached Thursday Thursday Thursday Thurs Thurs- day or at the latest by Saturday Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day morning tt tr it ft Coal Shortage Slows Geneva Production Product By Telegram Leased Wire VIre PROVO April 5 Production 5 at Geneva steel plant is being slowed by the serious coal shortage resulting resulting resulting re re- re- re from lack of man power and a high rate of absenteeism at atthe atthe atthe the plants plant's Horse canyon mine Walther Mathesius president said Thursday Meanwhile reports from coal coalmines coalmines coalmines mines in Carbon county showed that the rate of absenteeism which was as high as 70 per cent Tuesday and 30 per cent Wednesday at some mines had dropped sharply According to Mr Mathesius the plant has been operating at a reduced reduced reduced re re- re- re rate for several weeks because because because be be- cause of ot the serious coal shortage i While no blast furnaces have been shut down only seven of the nine open hearth furnaces are in operation operation operation opera opera- tion he said Coal production was most seri seri- i affected last Monday when most miners took the day off to celebrate John Mitchell day said Mr Mathesius and since then the rate of or absenteeism has been very high However the steel plant president president president dent does not contemplate any further reduction In steel production production production tion as a result of the shortage Nearing Normal In Salt Lake City B. B P. P Manley manager of the Utah Coal Operators Operators' Operators Operators' Operators Operators' Opera Opera- tors' tors reported Thursday that the situation described by Solid Fuels Administrator Ickes does not apply in Utah The situation situation situation situ situ- here is improving dally and we are approaching normal pro pro- At the United States Fuel Co mine mine at Hiawatha it was reported that 10 per cent of ot the workers were absent Thursday showing a decline from Tuesday when 70 per percent percent percent cent of the miners were absent and Wednesday when 30 per cent failed tailed to appear for tor work Twenty workers still remained away from their jobs Thursday at the Spring Canyon Coal Co in Spring Canyon compared to 46 Wednesday and 58 Tuesday according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to the chief clerk at the mine Columbia Coal Co at Columbia reported the percentage of ot absenteeism absenteeism absenteeism ab ab- was about normal Thursday 52 Men len Absent The Kaiser Co mine at Sunnyside Sunnyside Sunnyside Sunny- Sunny side had miners at work Wednesday with 52 miners absent from their Jobs and the percentage remained about the same Thursday Thursday Thursday Thurs Thurs- day it was reported According to Mrs Lois Beren- Beren sen clerk at the Standard Coal Co mine at Standardville 61 workers were on the job Thursday with 12 absentees compared with 20 absentees Wednesday At t the Royal Coal Co mine at Royal miners were on the job with 14 out compared to 18 absentees absentees absentees ab ab- ab- ab Wednesday and 28 on Tuesday according to Jack Smith chief clerk 0 Utah Fuel Co at Sunnyside did not have a complete check on workers on the job Officials at atthe atthe atthe the Kenilworth mine refused to comment on per cent of absentees Officials at mine o 0 offices f f tIc i c e s throughout Carbon county reflected reflect reflect- ed the general opinion that absenteeism absenteeism absenteeism ab ab- ab- ab always ran after a little trouble with reference to the delayed strike of miners with the extension of ot the time limit on the national coal mine strike called by John L L. Lewis |
