The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-23
GARFIELD URGES
!. U.S,GONTROL FOR
0COAL INDUSTRY
Tells Operators 1t is Need.
ed to Check Spread of
E Radicalism.

cH1cAeo,.May 2s.-ModIfication of
the Sherman Ann Trust law was the
first recommendation Of Harry N.
Taylor. of Kansas City, in accepting
the presidency of the National Coal
association yesterday. He said the
coal industry had been 80 hedged
about by restrictions and regulations"
ddring the war that short cut meth.
DDS Nof cooperation were practically
impossible.
United States Fuel administrator, had
urged continuance OF wartime gov.
ernmental supervision OF business In
control of basic raw materials, though
saying he knew some coal producers
wanted to keep as far away from the
government as possible.
President Taylor gave solemn
warning to the public to buy coal now,
citing 50,000,000 ton shortage in btu
mtnous production, and one Of 8,000,-
900 tons anthracite up to June /, next.
a shortage Of 10000 miners and the
handling this years crops.
"How in the world are we going to
meet this public want and make up
the shortage of 5S,000,00o tons at
time in the year when we can't get
transportation and we can't get men
to dig the full output OF our mines?"
he asked.
DR.. Harry A. Garfield United States
Fuel administrator. in addressing the
National Coal association, expressed
the opinion that the governmental su-
pervision of business controlling the
production of basic raw materials, ex-
ercised during the war, should be con-
tinued in some form after peace has
been formally declared.
He said he had no definite plan
but thought that some arrangement
should be worked out whereby capital,
labor and the public, represented by a
governmental agency, should closely
cooperate with the fullest publicity in
the coal industry and other lines pro-
ducing basic raw materials.
Some such method, he said, would
curb the tendency toward radicalism
and be for the benefit of industry as
well as the public.
Il know that many of you feel that
the further you can keep away from
the government the better" said DR..
Garfield. "That is fived in the mind
of the American people or was be-
fore the war. But our experiences In
the war have taught us great many
things.
ut is not question any longer
whether the government shall go be-
yond the very minimum, but how far
shall the government go? cannot be-
lieye that the experiences of the late
two years will leave either you or the
public ignorant of the great value of
cooperation and its applicability to
time OF peace as we'll as to war. Those
who fear merely that the government
will interfere with things that they de-
sire to do which they ought not to do,
l have nothing to say. They ought to
rear and they will be made to fear.
by one another, not by the govern
ment."
Unless that kind of arrangement
is made, and made soon, we of the
United States will discover that forces
have been let loose that we would
deplore utterly" continued DR.. Gar.
field. II mean the forces of radical.
ism that by and by will insist that
government do more than supervise
your industry. Capital, labor and the
public, represented through the gov
ernment, should sit down together and
discuss the problem before any action
is taken which affects of the vital
things of industry"
Harry N. Taylor, of Kansas City,
was elected president. Vice presi-
dents elected were: A. R. Hamilton.
Pittsburgh; T. B. Davis, New York:
A. M. ogle, Terre Haute. IDA. Nor.
row, Washington, was reelected gen
eral secretary. j. ]. Tierney, Of Phil.
adelphia, was reelected treasurer.