The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-11
APPEAL AGAINST THE
COAL BAROHS
The President U'ged to Pro-
coed Against hem
Deles a'es From Eleven S'a'es Ask Govern
m n. Cuniot OF Roads Mines to Sup
ply the PecDl-' Ne ds.
CBy the Associated Press. }


Detroit. Mich, Oct. 9-The delegates
representing eleven States, who attended
the State conference on the coal
situation here today adopted resolutions
tonight after much debate. urging the
President to institute civil proceedings
looking to the enforcement of the Inter
panies and criminal proceedings against
their officers; petitioning the Governor
of Pennsylvania to call a special session
of the Legislature of that State to con-
denim all the coal carrying roads and suf-
ficient of the mines to supply the de-
mands of the people.
A supplemental resolution offered by
Judge Frank e Garvin, of indianapolis,
also was adopted and ordered attached
TO the main resolutions. The supplemeN
tai report urges a special session of
Congress if it is impossible at present
for the President to take the necessary
action.
The resolutions are as follows:
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 Acts, and other
statutes there are sufficient remedies for
this present condition,
I'VE urge upon the President the ne
cessity and eXpediency of instructing
the Attorney General to institute civil
proceedings looking to the endorsements
of both the Inter-S State Commerce Act
and the Act of July 2, 1890.
Second, of instituting criminal pro.
ceedingS III the proper courts against
the managers, directors, officers and
agents of all such corporations for viola
tioh of both the above named acts
Third, to direct the Interstate Com
merce Commission TO at once inquire into
the reasonableness of the rates of trans
portaticn charged by the coal transpor-,
tation companies and any other violations
of the Interstate Commerce Act and
cause that tribunal to make application
10 the courts for an injunction to restrain
further exercise of such abuse and vio-
lation.
"Fourth. to have Congress confer upon
Inter- State Commerce Commission the
absolute power to fix and determine the
rates of transportation upon Interstate
commerce.
Resolved, that the government that
possesses the right of eminent domain
can and should exercise that right in be-
half of the people when by such exercise
great public wrong can be righted, and
great public suffering averted.
Resolved, that we respectfully petit
tion the Governor of Pennsylvania, I'M
less the strike is speedily settled, to call
for special session of the Pennsylvania
Legislature and recommend to it the pas
sage of law providing the condemnation
by the State at fair and just compensa-
tion of all the coal carrying railroads OF
Pennsylvania, and of sufficient anthracite
lands to enable the State to operate the
anthracite 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 the court pursuant to statute who
shall at once take possession of said
mines and railroads and operate the
same.
And be it further, resolved. that We
respectfully request the President of the
United States to call special session OF
The House of Representatives and recon-
mend to it the appointment of a commit
tee to investigate the cause and origin
of the present disastrous strike and to
place the blame therefor upon responsible
parties"
Governmental ownership of the mines
met with almost unanimous favor and the
way in which this was received by the
delegates showed that large majority
of them favored it as permanent soiu-
ton OF the coal situation.