Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-08
STATE MAY SEIZE
ALL COAL Mines
ILLINOIS STATE COUNCIL OF DE-
TENSE PROPOSES DRASTIC Ac- :
rIoN TO CURB PIRATES.
REPORT FIRES TERRIFIC
BRoADsiDE At PRoFiTEERs
Council Invites Associations Of Fifteen
States to Meet in Chicago Aug. is to
Co. operate in Movement to Force
Fair Prices For Fuel-Risht Of State
Predominant.

Predominant.
Chicago, Aug. Sine Illinois state
council of defense yesterday fired a
terrific broadside at eXorbitant coal
prices.
1t delivered this drastic ultimatum
to coal mine operators whose war
time" profits are putting to shame
those collected early in the great strife
on war brides:
The state has the right to seize every
mine in Illinois and operate them, and
this without court proceeding.
The safety of the state and its peo-
pie overtowers all private interests.
Compensation can be decided upon by
court of claims.
The state can fix a scale Of prices for
coal and determine what wages are TO
be paid, and can do so without violat-
ing the state or federal constitution
nor Interfering with interstate COM
merce.
Weeks of Preparation.
Some of the biggest legal minds of
the state and the country formulated
the report adopted by the state council
yesterday and passed it on TO Governor
Lowden. II constituted report of the
committee on law and legislation Of the
state council of WHICH Levy Mayer is
chairman and Lieutenant Governor
John c. Oglesby and David P. Shana-
han, speaker of the legislature, are
members. They spent several weeks ty-
ing up every flag. end of the legal
procedure before they made ;heir re-
port. And yesterday the state counch
unanimously approved IL.
Illinois will not act alone. however
in the coal situation which threatens
to strike at the very vitals of business
as well as the fireside Of the small
consumer
Included in the committees report
was a recommendation that an imme-
date meeting Of representatives OF the
state councils of neirhboring coal-pro-
ducing states be called SO that adj
quate and uniform measures OF rehef
at once can be adopted and enforced in
these other states
Asks Federal Power.
II further recommended that either
separately or in conjunction with the
state councils Of the neighboring states,
immediate steps be taken to bring about
the adoption Of federal law which will
give full and sweeping federal power
Of control over prices and distribution
to an administrative body possessing
the machinery to give complete and In
slant relief.
Acting on the first suggestion, the
state council last night sent invitations
to the state councils of defense Of fiji
teen states to join in conference at
Chicago, at II O'Clock on Thursday.
Aug. 1S, at which time the entire situa
ton will be reviewed and full course
of action decided upon. Governors OF
those states also have been invited and
many already have signified their In
tention of participating. Yesterdays re-
port also has gone forward to Presi-
dent Wilson, the states representatives
at Washington and to all governors Of
coal producing states.
The states invited to have represen-
tatives at the joint conference are: In.
diana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Mis-
50 ri, West Virginia, North Dakota,
Tennessee. Michigan. Minnesota, Ohio,
Nebraska, Kansas, Pennsylvania and
South Dakota.
Lowden's Stand Known.
Already Governor Lowden has taken
several state executives into his con.
fidence. He is known to feel keenly
regarding the situation and has said
flat footedly that coal prices are too
high"
In advising the governor Of the states
powers, the state council took its dras
tic step only after all efforts at a vol
untary reduction in prices by the mine
operators had proved fruitless. 1t fol-
lowed joint conference of council
members and operators at which no
agreement could be reached. With this
situation facing it and operators de-
handing 100 to 200 per cent increases
in prices for filling coal bins Of the
state and the demand for coal daily in
creasing, the law and legislation COM
mittee. with Mr.. Mayer at its directing
head, got busy.
1t found that with the country plung-
ed into war and every agency needed to
help the country to victory that the
principle "salus populi supreme
lex"-the safety of the people is the
supreme law-applies as never before.
Nails German Story.
Then 1t nailed pet story German
propagandists have been circulating
thruout the state that ~. Ogden ARM
our John A. Spoor, Samuel insult and
Levy Mayer. who all have big property
interests are m the state cornell to
protect their property and not thru
patriotic motives" by recommending
absolute confiscation OF property.
IN substance the council by its re-
port holds that with the state giving
its men to do battle in the trenches,
property interests are not sacred and
should be sacrificed to the public good
and the needs Of war az readily as the
nations sons-if not moro readily.
"The principle Of salus populi SUI
prema lex IL as old a. the government
ITSELF" the council report says. There
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