Middletown transcript., 1906-04-07
wASHNGToNLETTER

~ II HOb bIiht " acittbkWu 10 dti4 inOl
directly affected than any other city in
the country, but it is the city where a
great many legislators are directly affected
by the threatened change in prices.
There are two classes of congressman, one
, which is affected by change in prices
and one which is not. All Congressmen
are not rich, strange as it may seem TO
the outsider Some are even dead poor
a.fd-live in boardii & louses Where they
are not directly affected by tile change in
the price of coal but where they will
have the sui ject dilned into their inner
concinusness ~ tie lanentaii"l.s Of their
Iandlady. Others " ho are MT dirt city Of
fected are at tile otller end uf the social
scale ard do not paItiruarl, care whether
coal is four dollars a ton or eight dollars.
But there are great number II represent
tatirps and sprinkllng of senat 'rs who
live in honses uf their own and WHO are
Affected by change in the price Of house
hold commodities II il these gentlemen
who more than any other will have to do
With legislation, il it comes, in connection
with the coal situRtinn. Thus Washing
ton is got place to look for the cry OF
the householder to take definite form.
Congress has its eye on the situation in
the coal regions, and while il 10 not I'M
mInent that legislation natinnalizing the
fields will be passed or that there will be
any other radical move, it il quite pnssi-
BILE that Congress viii begin to "make
notions that will bring the senseless
fight of the operators and the labor
unions to an end. The threat to take
over the fields and operate them as a
government monopoly is probably the
| form that the first agitation will take,
There is no likelihood that this will be
done. But it is play that will appeal TO
the public, and as soon as the suspension
order OF April lst, goes into effect, it is a
safe guess that some member will be in
troducing a bill OF that sort into the
House. The President has very wisely
refused at this time TO take any active
part in the discussion. He has been ap.
pealed to both by the minors and the op-
orators to nominate a commission as he
did in the case of the strike two years
ago to inquire into the whole question
But the President has said that if lie ap-
points commission il will Lave to be
one with the power to do thin gs lie has
had enough of investigation and he thinks
that both lie and the rest Of the country
know about the whole Of the coal situa-
tion. Ii he appoints commission,
which he las no right In law to do, it
must be one TO whose findings tie minors
and the operators pledge themselves to
submit. The commission conclusion is
probably what the row will came to.
Neither the miners mar the operators
dare again To plunge the country into
the misery aud expense Of prolonged
strike Both sides wnu;d lie glad to be
helped out Of quandarl b, tie action Of a
commission which they could blame
safely for getting all they Lad promised
their followers they wuuid get. So that
is about the outcome that the country
may look for, submission on the part of
both employ eis aud employ ees to tile de-
crees Of a commission and then the ap-
pnintment If the cehmissiun by the
President With the knowledge that the
coal question will lie settled for perhaps
two years more, leaving coal 10 more
was before the threatened strike COM
menced. Both the mii ers and the oper-
ators. which is only another name for
thecoal roads, ,are squeezing the consumers
of the country TO the last ounce of fluid in
their bodies and they probably think If
the househplders get used to eight dollar
coal in the next Two years that they can
be trained next to pay for nine dollar
coal. But there is always the danger in
tile background that some reckless con-
gresham will spring the proposition to
take possession OF the coal fields and to
make them as MUCH part Of the govern
ment service as is the Post, flee and that
he will spring it at the psychological
moment wien the measure will become
law.
~
1t seems while there has been very
general llurrah in the Navy Department |
over the prospect of this government
having tile biggest batiieelip in the
world and while most naval officers are |
in accord with Admiral Dswey and would |
like to see 10000 ton battleship built,
there is current OF resistance under the
surface and there is a faction in the De-
partment that would prefer to zee two
l6, 600 ton ships in place Of the one 20
900 tonner. Their line OF reasoning is
simple. They say that it'll one Immense
ship the country is carrying too many
eggs in one basket and also that to keep
up well balanced squadrons the navy
must have more battIeships 10 cooperate
with the cruisers. This is 4 question for
naval experts and one which even naval |
experts cannot defl itely decide but
v hicli must I've left to the hard and ex-
pensive school of experience The ad- !
verse view is given, however, fnr the sake
Of keeping up with both sides If the cen
Lroyersy and the matter will nIiilnatel, !
have to be settled on the hnr nf the
House where the majority of members,
like the historical s. cretary nf tile NAVY,
do not know whether or not a battle ship
is hollow. =
N1N-f~E rA -ANnaNEH~