Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-10-02
SEEK TOEA D.sIRIKE
PRESIDENT AND CABINET CON.
FER AS TO MEANS.

en NS ~ M@SbbN9s
Attorney General Knox Finds No
Constitutional Provision for Fed
eral lnterference-Detroit Call Be.
gins to Bear Fruit.
Washington, Oct. 1.-The president
yesterday took initiative steps to as.
certain what If anything. could be
done by federal authority to settle
the coal strike. The result was q
rather general expression OF opinion
by the advisers Of the president, who
were parties to the conference, to the
effect that the federal laws and con.
sutution did not offer means of fed
eral interference to end the strike,
but another conference will be held
today and the president will do all
he properly and legally can to bring
about a settlement Of the
strike. At the temporary white house
q conference was held with three
cabinet officers, Attorney General
Knox, Secretary Moody and Postmas-
ter General Payne. Governor Crane
OF Massachusetts also was present.
President Roosevelt is deeply con-
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 situation
which, he thinks, should receive the
attention of the administration, If
there is anything that. can be done by
the government. Many appeals have
been made to him and many sugges-
lions have been received by him, and
1t was with view to ascertaining
what power the federal authority
could be evoke that caused the confer
ence to be held.
During the conference every phase
of the situation was discussed. The
general opinion of the advisors Of the
president was that the situation did
not present case in which there
could be federal interference by any
interference with federal authority in
the mining region, either by stoppage
Of the mails or resistance Of the Unit
ed States court process. It was point
ed 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
appointment Of receivers for the
mines in order that they might be
operated was discussed, but neither
in the constitution or in any known
law could any legal warrant be found
for such action. The tenor Of the
whole discussion was to the effect that
there was lack of power in the fed
eral administration to take action at
the present time, though the serious
ness Of the coal famine now and the
much greater evils to follow were con
sidered at length and with a wish tc
discover some method Of ending the
industrial deadlock. During the day
advices were received that the strike
might be settled by the operators and
miners themselves, and It was sug-
gested that hasty interference Of any
kind by the federal government might
prevent the contamination of the
plans for strike settlement If any
such were maturing. Realizing the
futility of efforts to end the strike,
that could accomplish nothing, it was
stated that the president was anxious
that the end of the strike should be
brought about at the earliest possible
moment, and if the attorney general
or other members of the cabinet could
devise method by which the presi.
dent could proceed, he would not hest.
tate to adopt it, unless meanwhile as.
surances of settlement were forth.
coming. The conference will be re.
sumed today, at which time Secretary
Root will be present.