The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-01
ARE IN CONFERENCE
PRESIDENT AND FEDERAL AU-
THORITIES ON COAL STRIKE.
DISCUSSION AS TO REMEDY.
ROOSEVELT DEEPLY CONCERNED
AS TO SITUATION.

The Approach of Winter and the In
evitabIe Coal Fa mine Which Must
Ensue Unless the Strike Situation
in the Mining Region Is Mitigated.
Chief Executive Thinks Situation
Presents Phases Calling for the
Attention and Action of the Ma
tionaI Administration.
Washington. Sept. SO.-The Presi-
dent to-day took initiative steps to as
certain what, if anything, could be
done by federal authorities to settle
the coal strike. The result was a rath-
er general expression of opinion by
the advisers of the President to the
effect that the federal laws and con-
stitution did not afford means of fed
eral interference to end the strike. but
another conference will be held to-mor
row, and the President will do an he
can properly and legally to bring about
settlement.
At the temporary White House
conference was held to-day with three
cabinet officers, Attorney General
Knox, Secretary Moody and Postmaster
General Payne. Gov. Crane of Massa
chusetts was also present. They met
with President Roosevelt first, and aft
err the subject had been considered for
some time, they adjourned to another
room and conferred together for an
hour. They all returned later in the
day and held another conference with
the President, and the strike situation
was discussed further.
President Roosevelt is deeply con-
cerned over the situation. The APP
| 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 re-
ceive the attention of the adj
| miniStration if 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 it was with a. view to as
| certaining what power the federal au-
thority could evoke that caused the
conference to be held.
] During the conference every phase
| OIL the situation was discussed. The
/ general opinion of the advisors 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 interfer-
| ence with federal authority in the MIN
ing region, either by stoppage of the
mails or resistance of United States
| court process. 1t was pointed out that
| there was no occasion for the use of
| federal troops, as Gov. Stone of Penn
sylvania had not called on the govern
ment for assistance, nor had he even
| exhausted the resources of the state
/ he full
| state militia. The question of the right
| to seek appointment of receivers for
| the mines in order that they might be
| operated was discussed, but neither in
| the constitution nor in any known law
could any legal warrant be found for
such action, though the discussion on
such lines even went so far as the
consideration of how the properties
could be relinquished and control sur
rendered after the object of supplying
| coal had been accomplished, assuming
| the federal government could intervene
| through receivers. The tenor of the
Whole discussion was to the effect that
there was a lack of power in the fed
eral administration to take any action
at the present stage of the strike, al
| though the seriousness of the coal
famine now and the much greater evils
soon to follow were considered at
length, and with a wish to discover
some method of ending the industrial
| deadlock.
| Gov. Cranes presence naturally
brought into prominence the proceed
ings 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 successfully by this method.
| The conference will be resumed 20
morrow, at which time Secretary Root
| who spent to-day in New York, will
| be present. 1t is understood that the
| visit of Secretary Root to New York
was for the purpose of consulting
| prominent business men on the subject
The secretary left for New York Mon
day after short conference at the
White House. when the same gentle
men were present who were at to-day's
conference. 1t has been intimated
that the President may send for the
| managers of the coal properties, but
this will not be done until after the
conference tomorrow, and perhaps
not then.
Some confidence is expressed i'm the
report which Secretary Root NAV
bring from New York, though it could
not be learned what communication
If any, had been received from the sec
rotary while he was in New York He
reached Washington from there about
10 O'Clock tonight but denied him
self to newspaper men and others
seeking information.
No official statement was made re-
garding the conference to-day, though
an intimation was given that some
statement might follow the conference
tomorrow. AS heretofore stated, the
main fact made apparent to-day was
that the President will make every ef-
fort he can exert properly and law
fully to stop the strike and avert a
fuel famine.