Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-10-17
DEMAND COAL MINING.
In Favor of Receivership.
From The Chicago Record-Herald

From The Chicago RecordHerald
Detroit, Oct. o.-After nearly twelve hours of
debate the coal conference adjourned about mid
night tonight alter having passed set of res
olutions asking that temporary receivers be i'm
nediatey appointed for both the anthracite
mines and the railroads. 1t was also the SEN
timent of the gathering that congress should so
strengthen the powers of the interstate COM
merce commission that the rates for carrying
coal by the transportation corporations may be
fixed, so as to prevent overcha1 ges. The reso-
lutions further demand that existing laws be
exerted toward ending the strike.
DECLARATIONS ADOPTED
First, stating that the conference was adj
vised "by eminent counsel that under the
rious acts of congress, there are sufficient rem
edes for this present condition." the conI ention
declares as follows:
81. We urge upon the President the necessity
and expediency of 1nstructing the attorney-gen-
eral to institute civil proceedings looking to the
enforcement of 10th the interstate commerce
act and the act Of July 2, 1890.
"2. By instituting criminal proceedings in
the proper courts against the managers, direc-
tons for violations of both the above.named
acts.
g. To direct the interstate commerce CON-
mission to at once inquire into the reasonabeness
of the rates of transportation charged by the
coal transportation companies and other viola
tons of the interstate commerce act, and cause
that tribunal to make application to the courts
for an Injunction to restrain further exercise of
such abuse and violation.
POWER TO FIX RATES
"a. To have congress confer upon the i'll.
terstate commerce commission the absolute
power to fix and determine the rates of transport
tation upon interstate commerce.
rs. That the government that possesses the
right of eminent domain can and should exer-
else that right in behalf of the people, when
by such exercise a great public wrong can be
righted and great public suffering avoided.
"6 That we respectfully petition the Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania unless the strike is speedily
settled to call for special session of the Penn
sylvania legislature and recommend to it the
passage of law providing for the condemnation
by the state at fair and just compensation of all
the coal-carrying railroads in Pennsylvania and
of sufficient of the anthacite coal lands to
bile 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
persuant to statute, who shall at once take pos
session of said mines and railroads and operate
the same.
EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS
81. That we respectfully request the President
of the United States to call special session of
the House of Representatives and recommend 10
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, with full power to call for
all books, papers, deeds, charters, pay rolls,
stock books and other documents, and testi-