The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-04-06
COAL QUESTION
IS DISCUSSED
Congress Has an Eye on the
Situation /
PRESIDENT TAKES NO PAkT
Miners and Operators are Squeezing
The Consumers Of The Country
10 The Last Ounce
PRESIDENT TAKES NO PAkT
NAVY MUST HAVE MORE BATTLESHIPs

for the moment at any rate. the
question Of the coal strike has taken
precedence even Of the rate bin discus
sion. II Is not that Washington is'any
more directly affected than any other
city in the country. but II is the city
where a great many legislators are
directly Affected ibyr TIE \ threatened
change IN prices nTherc are two class
es of congressman. one which is affect
cd by a change in prices and one which
is not. All congressman are not rich.
strange as Il may seem % the outsider.
Some are even dead poor and live in
boarding houses where they are not
directly affected by the change in the
price Of coal but where they viii have
the subject dinncd into their inner con-
sciousne.s by the lamentations OF their
landlady. Others who are not directly
affected are at the other end Of the
social scale and do not particularly
care whether coal Is four dollars a ton
oF eight dollars
hut there are a great number Of rep
rescntatiyes and a sprinkhng Of sena.
tors who live In .houses Of their own
and who are affected by a change In
the price of household commodities. II
Is these gentlemen who more than any
6IFcT- Wiil have ioI 90 With legislation.
u Il comes IN connection with the coal
situation.
Thus. Washington Is good place 10
look for the cry of the householder to
take definite form Congress has IL,
eve on the situation In the coal regions
and while Il Is not imminent that lcgis.
IationInallonallIing LthcI fields will be
passed or that there. will be any other
radicaI. .moVc' q % quite possible that
congress will begin To make motions
that vlll bring the s"nscless fight oi
the operators and the labor unions u
an end 4 The threat 60 take over III,
field, and operate them as a govern.
mcnt monopoly Is probably the form
that the hrst agitation will take Their,
is no likelihood that this will be- done
Hut &c is a play that viii appeal to IN,
public. and as soon as the suspension
order OF April gocs into effect, Il Is d
safe guess that some member will b,
introducing q bill II that sort into IN,
House.
The president has very wisely ~
/ fused al this time 20 take any acliy,
. part IN the discussion he has beer
appealed 10 both by the miners and N,
operators TO nominate a commission a.
h, did In the ease u the strike tW,
years aro 60 inquire into the wh,l
question. Ru, the president has ,ai,
that iihc appoints a commission e vii
have 20 De- one with the power to d
things. llc has had enough of invcsu
cation and hc thinks that both hc an,
the rysi u the country Know about thl
whUi, o' the coal situation. lfhc ap
points "a commission. which he has nj
nrht iu hw o. do. it must hc one q
Vbosc findings the miners and the up
orators ple,irc themselves tD submit
/ The commission conclusion is prohahh
what the row will come TO. Nciihc
. the miner, nor the operators dare agah
10 plunge the country again into IN
misery and expense Of a prolongc
strike. Roth sides would be glad to b
hclpcd out " their quandary by thl
action uf commission which the
could blame safely Tor not getting al
they had promised their followers the,
would get So that ia about the cut
ccmc that the country may look for
Both the miners and the operators
which is only another name for N
coal tuads, are squeezing the consum
Crs of the country to the las, ounce o
auid In their bodies and they probabl
think u the hoascholdcrs get used /
eight dollar coal in the next two year
that they can be trained next TO pa
for nine dollar coal hut there
always the danger IN the hackgroun
that somc RECKLESS congressman vi