Everything for John L.

John L. Lewis, who used to fancy himself as a President-maker and still does as a President-breaker, could not get to Philadelphia last week. He was much too busy in Washington getting just about everything he wants for 1948.

John L.'s .miners were ready to begin their ten-day vacation; their present contract with the mine operators expired on July 1. Meanwhile the operators' spokesman, Ezra Van Horn, had filed suits which froze the miners' welfare and pension fund and prevented its distribution. If the contract were not signed, or the pension fund not unfrozen, John L.'s miners might not come back to work on July 6.

But last week John L. got a big break from Federal Judge T. Alan Goldsborough, who has twice slapped big fines on him. Judge Goldsborough dismissed the pension fund suits, adding that a $100-a-month pension for miners above 62 was "meager ... just enough to keep the miners from being objects of charity."

After that, the rest was easy. The coal operators caved in quickly and signed a contract which was a complete victory for John. It calls for: 1) a $1-a-day wage increase;* 2) renewal of a union shop; 3) a boost in the welfare-fund royalty from 10-c- to 20-c- a ton. Estimated cost to the operators: more than $200 million a year. Expected increase in the price of coal: 50-c- to $1 a ton.

* Which makes miners the highest-paid U.S. industrial workers: an average of $1.98 an hour.

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