The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-10
A COAL CONFERENCE
DELEGATES MEET REPRESENTING
ELEVEN STATES.
RESOLUTIONS WERE PASSED
CALLING FOR MITIGATION or
THE CONDITIONS.

Coal Mines by the Cover nment and
for Governmental Ownership of
Same-MaJOrity and Minority Re
ports Submitted-ResOIutIO viii
BE Sent to President Roosevelt.
Detroit, Mich. Oct. 9.-The delegates
representing eleven states who at
tended the interstate conference on the
coal situation here to-day, tonight
adopted resolutions, after much de-
bate, urging the President to institute
civil proceedings looking to the en-
forcement Of the Interstate Commerce
act. against the coal companies and
criminal proceedings against their OFF,
GERS; petitioning the Governor of Penn
sylvania to call a special session OF
the Legislature OF that state, to con-
denim all the coal carrying roads and
sufficient of the mines to supply the
demands of the people. supplemental
resolution, offered by Judge Frank Il.
| Garvin of Indianapolis, was also
adopted and ordered attached to the
main resolutions. 1t urges. the Presi-
dent to institute proceedings to dis
solve the present combination of the
coal operators and have a receiver APP
pointed to operate the mines The sup
Elemental report urges a special ses-
sion of Congress If it is impossible at
present for the President to take this
action.
The radical element, represented by
Victor l.. Berger OF Milwaukee, want
ed more radical resolutions wanted
them to declare for seizure and opera
ton of the mines by the government,
and government ownership.
John c. Nelson of Loga nsport, Ind.
contended that the government should
send in a force of men headed by
some conservative man like Gen.
Leonard Wood to open the mines i'm
| mediately and give the country coal.
Mr.. Berger offered minority report
requesting the President to cali an ex-
ira session and operate the coal min
| w. c. p. Breckenridge of Kentucky
made the principal speech in favor OF
the majority report. He said there
was no possibility If doing what the
| minority resolution proposed.
! I'VE know" he said, "that even IL
Congress were called In extra session.
the Senate would not permit the Pres
/ ident to seize the mines There can be
no question as between violence and
force and appealing to law. We are a
law-making and law-ablding race
When a vote was taken the minority
resolution was Overwhelmingly voted
| down.
| Mayor Maybury was made chairman
of committee to forward the resolu-
lions to President Roosevelt
The resolutions. in part, follow:
Resolved, That this conference, hav-
ing been advised by eminent counsel
that under the various acts of Congress
known as the Interstate Commerce Act,
the Sherman Antitrust Act and other
statutes. there are sufficient remedies
| for this present condition.
We urge upon the President the ne
| cessity and expediency of instructing
the Attorney General to institute civil
proceedings looking to the enforcement
OF both the Interstate Commerce Act
and the act of July 2, 1890;
Second, of instituting criminal pro-
ceedings in the proper courts against
the managers. directors. officers and
agents of all such corporations for vio-
lation of both the above named acts;
Third. To direct the Interstate
Commerce Commission to at once in
quire into the reasonableness of the
rates of transportation charged by the
coal transportation companies, and
any other violations of the interstate
commerce act, and cause that tribuna!
to make application to the courts for
| an injunction to restrain further ex-
ercise of such abuse and violation.
Fourth. To have Congress confer
upon the Interstate Commerce Conn
mission the absolute power to fix and
determine the rates of transportation
upon Interstate commerce.
Resolved, That the government
that possesses the right of eminent do
main can and should exercise that
right in behalf of the people when.
by such exercise, great public wrong
can be righted and great public suf-
fering averted.
Resolved. That we respectfully pc
tition the Governor of Pennsylvania
unless the strike is speedily settled. to
call for special session of the Penn
sylvania Legislature, and recommend
to 1t the passage of law providing
for the condemnation by the
state at fair and Just
compensation OF all the coal
carrying roads in Pennsylvania, and
of sufficient of the anthracite coal
lands TO enable the state to operate the
coal mines so as to supply the demands
of the American public, and pending
the ascertainment of their value to
take immediate possession of such coal
mines by receivers to be appointed by
at once take possession of said mines
and railroads and operate the same
And be 1t further resolved, That we
respectfully request the President of
the United States to call a special ses-
sion of the House of Representatives
and recommend to it the appointment
of committee to investigate the cause
and origin of the present disastrous
strike and to place the blame therefor
upon the responsible parties"
During the afternoon. while waiting
for the report of the Resolutions Com
mittee, the conference was given over
to general debate on the coal situation.
The speakers almost unanimously fav-
ored governmental ownership of the
mines. and the enthusiasm with which
this was received by the delegates
showed that large majority of them
favored 1t as permanent solution of
the coal question.
Senator Mason outlined his plan to
have a special session of Congress pass
an act authorizing the appointment Of
receivers for the mines and their inn
mediate opening.