The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-10-09
STRIKE TALK AT WHITE HOUSE.
President and Cabinet Review Coal
Famine Situation.

Famine Situation.
Washington, Special.-The Prest
dent Tuesday took initiative steps to
ascertain what, il anything, could be
done by Federal authorities to settle
the coal strike. The result was a
rather general expression Of opinion
by the advisers Of the President to the
effect that the Federal laws and con-
%stitution did not afford mean OF Fed
eral interference to end the strike,
but another conference will be he'd
and the President will do all he a
to properly and legally bring about a
settlement.
At the temporary White House a
conference was held with three cabi-
net officers, Attorney General Knox,
Secretary Moody and. Postmaster Gen.
eral Payne. Governor Crane, Of Mas
sachusetts, was also present. These
gentlemen met with President hoose-
welt fret and after the subject had
been considered for some time, they
adjourned to another room and con-
ferred together for an hour. They all
returned later in the day and held
another conference with the Presi-
dent and the strike situation was dis
cussed further.
President Roosevelt is deeply tom
cerned over the situation. The ap-
proach Of winter, with a coal famine
imminent and the distress and suffer-
ing that must ensue unless coal be-
comes available, presents a situation
which he thinks should receive the at
tention of the administration il there
is anything that can be done by the
government. Many appeals have been
made to him and many suggestions
have been received by him and. 1t was
with a view to ascertaining what
power the Federal authority could
evoke that caused the conference to
be held.
During the conference every phaze
Of the situation was discussed. The
general opinion Of the advisers OF the
President was that the situation did
not present a case in which there
could be Federal interference by any
warrant Of law. There has been no in
reference with Federal authority in
the mining region either by stoppage
Of the mails or resistance OF United
States Court process. It was pointed
out that there was no occasion for the
use Of Federal troops, as Governor
Stone, OF Pennsylvania, had not called
on the government for assistance, nor
had he even exhausted the resources
Of the State by calling out the full
strength Of the State militia. The
question Of the right to seek appoint
ment Of receivers for the mines in
order that they might be operated was
discussed, but neither in the constitu-
ton o in any known law could any
legal warrant be found for such &C
ton though the discussion on such
lines went so far as the consideration
Of how the properties could be re.
linquished and control surrendered af-
ter the object Of supplying coal had
been accomplished, assuming the Fed.
through receivers. The tenor Of the
whole discussion was to the effect
that there was a lack Of power In the
Federal administration to take any
action at the present stage Of the
strike, although the seriousness Of
the coal famine now and the much
greater evils soon to follow were con.
sidered at length and with the wish
to discover some method of ending
the industrial deadlock.
Governor Cranes presence natur-
ally brought into prominence the pro-
ceedings begun in the Massachusetts,
courts to secure the appointment Of
receivers for the coal properties, but
the opinion was expressed that the
situation could not be met success
fully by this method.