Business: Gloom in the Valley

In its Panther Valley mines in eastern Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Navigation Coal Co. was in trouble. Last year it lost $3,400,000; this year the losses increased because of rising costs and a dwindling market. On May 3 the company, coalmining subsidiary of Lehigh Coal & Navigation and fourth biggest U.S. hard-coal producer, shut down the mines, threw 4,000 miners out of work. Later it offered to reopen the mines if the United Mine Workers’ locals would agree to “work harder, produce more.” Since there are almost no other jobs in the valley, five locals voted to go back to work. The Tamaqua local refused, saying 250 of its 800 members would lose their jobs. Tamaqua pickets kept the mines closed, even though

John L. Lewis four times ordered the men back. Said Union Leader Floyd Eveland: “The company is trying to put fear into our men . . . They are bluffing.”

Last week the company proved that it was not bluffing. It shut down the mines for good. This week the shocked miners offered to contribute 20 days’ pay to the company, about $1,500,000, if it would reopen the mines.