The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-10
PRESIDENT SEEKS ALL
FACTS IN COAL Strike
Publicity" Seemingly His
Keynote of Activity.
DEMANDS OF THE MINERS
Advised That He Could Do No More
Popular Thing Than Instruct AttoT-
ney General to Investigate Alleged
Monopoly.

Publicity seems to be the keynote
Of President RooseveIt's activity in con-
nection with the anthracite coal strike.
The President wants all OF The facts.
He has been told that IL all Of the facts
were known the effect On the pubic
mind would be such that a settle
ment of the strike would be forced
within very few days. This may be
true or il may be false.
No injury can cozyc from a statement
OF all conditions surrounding this labor
trouble. which threatens enormous in
jury to the public veal.
Much Good May Come.
Much good may come from informing
the public Of what the original demands
OF the miners were; of what they were
finally willing to accept; of the reasons
Of the coal operators and the coaI-car-
rying roads for refusing to grant these
final demands. and the actual condition
Of the coal market; the manner in which
the coal output is restricted. and the
price OF coal regulated together with
social and economic conditions in the
coal fields
The President has not only once, but
many times, been asked to interfere
in this coal strike. He can see no way
now in which he can interfere OF act as
arbitrator. II may be that new condi-
lions may arise which will afford him
the opportunity OF make il absolutely
necessary that he should do something.
When that emergency arises he wants
to be prepared
May Order Investigation.
The President has been advised that
he could not do a more popular thing
than instruct the Department OF Justice
to begin an investigation of the alleged
violation OF the Sherman antitrust law
and the interstate commerce law by the
coal-carrying roads. The President has
not instructed Attorney General Knox
to begin such action. He has been told
on one hand, that there is no combina-
ton Of coal-carrying roads for the re-
stTicticn OF commere OF the raising of
prices. On the other hand. he has been
told that there is a combination that
controls SO per cent OF the output, and
that the other { per cent is handled by
roads acting m sympathy with those In
its the amount of coal to be mined and
put on the market, and it also fixes the
price Of coal to every consumer in the
United States.
Is Competition Destroyed?
If these facts be true. the capitalists
who are engaged in fighting the miners
have not only established a monopoly
in this country. but have also utterly
destroyed competition. If the law is be-
ing broken, the vioIators should be pun
ished. but the strike should not be used
as reason for beginning action
The President will express no opinion
on this OF any other phase OF the coal
strike situation. He is waiting until
Commissioner Wright shall have fin
ished his inquiry The result Of this
inquiry may be made public; it may be
fled away. If there is a reasonable
likelihood that publicity will do any
good. then the public will get the facts.
But the Presidents mind is absolutely
open as to the merits of the controversy
and as 20 influences that may be exerted
for its termination