The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-31
Legal and Military Machinery
Ready for Action to Com
bat Strikers.
ONLY AWAIT OVERT ACT
Railroad Administrators Seiz.
ing Coal and Preparing to
Parcel It Out.

TdTcel IL Out.
Washington, Oct. 31.-Presider
Wilson today issued an executive o,
de restoring maximum coal price
made by the fuel administrator
which were suspended when the fu,
administration ceased its work.
This is the first step actually take
by the president in the coal situation
The purpose Of the order is to pre-
vent profiteerns during the perio
OF the impending strike. An execu
tive order fixing maximum prices fc
bltuminous coal was signed today b
President Wilson. Prices of anthra
cite are not affected. The maximum
prices are fixed by states, and fc
prepared sizes range from $3.50 to
net at mine mouth to $3.50.
Rules set up during the war gov
crnIng the margins of profits of mid
dlemen and wholesale and reta
osalers were re-estabIished and Fus
AdNinistrator Garfield was given a
the authority to regulate production
sale, Nhipment, distribution, appor
t'onment and storage or use of btu
mInous coal that he had during tn
war.
Executive Order,
The presidents executive order fol
lows:
Whereas, the United States fuel
administrator, acting under the
authority of an executive order
issued by me dated Aug. %, 1917,
appointing the said fuel adminis-
traitor and of subsequent orders,
and in furtherance of the purpose
of said orders and of the act of
congress therein referred to and
approved Aug. 10, 1917, did on
E Jan 81. 1919, and on Feb. 20,
1919, execute and issue orders
suspending until further order by
s the presid dent, certaip Gnl lesssreg-
l,lations orders and proclama-.
tions Heretofore promulgated
relating to the fixing of prices,
the production, sale, shipment,
distributioh, apportionment, stor-
age and use Of coal. and where
as, 1t is necessary to restore and
maintain during the war certain
of said rules, regulations, orders
and proclamation;
Now. therefore, 7, Woodrow
Wilson, president of the United
tSates of America, acting under
authority OF the aforesaid act
of congress approved Aug. 10,
1917, do hereby revoke and annul
said orders of Jan. 81, 1919, and
Feb. 20, 1919, to the extent neces-
sary to restore all of the said
, rules, regulations, orders and
proclamations therein suspended
concerning:
@(a) Fixing prices of bituminous
and ignite coal at the mines;
tb) Fixing or regulating COM
e missions of persons and agencies
performing the functions of mid
dlemen dealing in bituminous
and Ignite coal;
(c) Fixing or regulating gross
margin or prices of wholesale and
retail dealers in bituminous and
Ignite coal; and do hereby re-
1 store all of said rules, regula-
tions, and proclamations to the
extent herein provided, to full
force and effect, as if they had
not been suspended.
"Inasmuch as it is contemplated
that it may be necessary from
time to time to revoke other
nortions of said orders of Jan.
81, 1918, and Feb. 20, 1919, and to
restore to full force and effect
rules, regulations, orders and
proclamations or portions there
Of, regulating the production, sale.
.s.sI ..k;,zxx,1x,< ictr h,,f onnor
tionment, storage or use of btu
riinous and Ignite COAL the fuel
administration shall, as occasion
arises, restore, change or make
such rules or regulations relating
to the production, sale, shipment,
distribution, apportionment, stor-
age or use OF bituminous and lig-
mite coal as in his judgment may
be necessary.
Il .lSYgned) "WoODROW WILSON. .
The White House, Oct. 80, 1919."
Under Special Law.
aThis action is brought under a
suecfaI law, the Lever act, enacted
in war time to keep food and guns
moving, this law is still effective. The
governments right to prevent the re-
striction of the output of coal in
this case Is definitely settled in the
, Debs case and the Allen, case (the
AAllen case involved traffic in In
diana vehicles.)
Pointing out that the Washington
wage agreement, which the miners
sought to terminate at midnight to-
night, applied only to the central
competitive field-Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Illinois and Indiana-Mr. Ames as
serted the miners officials had over
stepped these bounds and called a
strike effective throughout the United
states.
The PENALTIES are inadequate in
this .'.arrangement' by the miners,
which will re-ult in "irreparable in
iiiiy,' in VIII a the people will be in
nocent sufferers" said Mr. Ames.
THE criminal courts are 'inadealatc
TO prevent the wrong and protect the
paople, he declared.
Injury Is Done.
aThe injury is done If the strike
yoes on" said the attorney generals
commemorative. in laying before the
oourt the necessity for action before
tfes. strike becomes effective. THE
situation is franght with consequent
ocs impossible to foretell."
The strike will reduce the produce
tionT OF coal 80 per cent. according
10 the tininers' own statements, said
Amos, md II will enforce idleness,
hr,,., = <s.ssafion of labor. and wide