The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-11
ON TO WASHINGTON
CRY OF THOSE WHO WANT RELIEF
FROM FUEL sTRINGENCY.
Governors and Chambers of Conn
merce Asked to Recruit an Army
Of Protest and Appeal.
CONFERENCE AT CHICAGO
SPEECHES BY POLITICIANS, JURIsTs
AND CLERGYMEN.
Attorney General Knox Criticised and
Decision Reached to March on the
White House for Redress.
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION
INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGED COAL
TRUST AT CHICAGO.
Effect of the Fuel Shortage at Various
Points-Eforts of the G. e. Z. i.
to Relieve the stringency.
Attorney General Knox Criticised and
Decision Reached to March on the
White House for Redress.
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION
INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGED COAL
TRUST AT CHICAGO.
Effect of the Fuel Shortage at Various
Points--Eforts of the c. & 4. i.
to Relieve the stringency.

CHICAGO, Jan. 10.-A national conven-
ton at Washington for the purpose OF i'm
pressing on President Roosevelt the urgent
need for immediate relief from the strin-
gency of the coal situation was decided or
to-day at a conference at the Grand Pacific
Hotel. The call for the gathering will be
issued probably on Monday by Mayor May
bury, of Detroit acting chairman of the
permanent committee of the Detroit coal
convention. 1t was this committee which
to-day agreed on the necessity for a ma
tional meeting at the capital
The conference opened at 20 o'clock this
morning and at an adjourned session II was
voted to reconvene the Detroit convention
at Washington at the earliest practicable
date. This decision followed series of
speeches in which Attorney General Knox
was censured. II being alleged in the meet
ing that he had not enforced the laws by
which, IT was urged, redress could be Sc
cured.
There was a considerable divergence OF
opinion at first as to the most effective
method to be pursued to obtain relief from
the present prices of coal. Suggestions
were made that an open letter be addressed
to President Roosevelt, that a convention
be called at Detroit or Chicago. or that
Congress be applied to for action. The pro-
posal to move on Washington in body
finally prevailed, II being agreed that the
enforcement of existing laws offered ade-
quate means Of relief.
The permanent committee OF the Detroit
coal convention consists of w. c. Maybury.
mayor of Detroit: Rev. r. A White, Chi
cago; K. M. Lahiff, Chicago; Senator Ma
son, Judge Edward f. Dunno, Chicago:
Father r. B. Condor. Reedsburg. Wis: T.
Z. Tarsney, corporation counsel OF Detroit:
w. c. p. Breckenridge. of Kentucky; George
Alexander. of Providence, r. l., and Judge
w. A Babcock, of Cleveland. All were
present except Messrs Breckenridge, Bab-
cock and Alexander.
Following an executive session Mayor
Maybury explained the action OF the con-
ference in a formal statement 1T was
the order of the convention at Detroit" he
said, that this committee should call the
convention to reassemble whenever such
course was deemed necessary. The de-
cision of the committee was that the con-
vention be reconvened- The question OF q
place was discussed, and IL was decided to
select Washington, the gathering to as
semble at the earliest practicable date.
The convention will not be confined to the
delegates who attended the Detroit session,
though the men accredited to that meeting
will be members of the convention at
Washington by virtue of their credentials
to the first convention. In addition 1t is
the purpose of the committee to ask the
chambers of commerce, the boards of trade
and other civic organizations of the coun-
try to send delegates In such numbers as
they see fit In addition the Governors
of all the States and the mayors OF all the
larger cities will be asked to designate
representatives to attend the convention,
it being the desire to make the personnel
of the gathering as widely representative as
possible"
In conclusion Mayor Maybury explained
that the date for the gathering at the ma
tional capital would be fixed according to
the developments that telegraphic corre-
spondence would evoke with relation TO
the convenience Of those expected to take
a prominent part in the convention
The speeches made by Senator Mason.
Mr.. Tarsney. Rev. r. A White and Mayor
Maybury indicated that the convention at
Washington would be devoted largely to
the presentation of charges that Attorney
General Knox has failed to grant the relief
that the laws make possible. More than
three hours were consumed with arguments
to that effect.