ORDERED TO WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 170, 30 April 1943, Page 4

ORDERED TO WORK

COALMINERS IN UNITED STATES.

PRESIDENT ACTS IN STRIKES.

THREAT TO USE HIS POWERS

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Eec. 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 29.

Mr Roosevelt lias warned tlie American coal strikers that if work at the mines is not resumed by 10 a.m. on Saturday he will use his powers as Commander-in-Chief to preveut interference witli the prosecution of tlie war.

Mr Roosevelt said: “These are not mere strikes against employers of this industry to enforce collective demands. They are strikes against the United States Government itself.” Over 73,000 soft-coal miners are now on strike and a further walk-out is threatened for midnight to-morrow.— British Official Wireless. MATTER FOR MR ROOSEVELT. WASHINGTON, April 29. The War Labour Board has submitted the coal dispute to Mr Roosevelt, thus heading for a showdown between the President and the president of the United Mine Workers of America (Mr John L. Lewis). With 61,000 miners idle and a general walk-out threatened on May 1, the board said it had no alternative but to seek Presidential intervention.

The United Press says the dispute is arousing nation-wide interest because the United Mine Workers of America are openly challenging the Adminis--tration’s attempt to establish a method of settling war-time disputes and the control of the cost of living. “Mr Lewis has confronted the Government with an ultimatum,” says the “Jtfew York Times” in a leading article. “Either Mr Lewis gets a wage increase for the miners which violates the Government’s formula, or the soft coal industry will be brought to a standstill on May 1, and steel production will cease within a fortnight. We will then stop making weapons for the soldiers.

“The responsibility is partly the Government’s for its hesitant handling of labour problems, but the direct responsibility rests on Mr Lewis. By bis own choice we are about to see whether the Government’s authority in war time is greater or less than his.”