Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-14
SUGGESTS TAKING
OVER of COAL MINES
BY GOVERNMENT
Senate Committee Makes Threat
Of Drastic Legislation by
the Congress.
SAYS PROFTTEERING
REMAINS UNCHECKED
~ Associated Press 70 Every Evening

By Associated Press 70 Every Evening
Washington. Dec. "a sharp critic sm
~ the national coal industry with I'M
piled threat of drastic legislation by Com
grras 70 meet alleged evil of profteerlng
and speculation. accompanied the partial
report of the senate Committee IN pro-
ductlnn and reconst r7ictiou submitted -
the senate TODAY In general the report
suggested government activities 70 brlng
about cooperation under regulation IN
building construction, but the thrce Re-
publ IAN committee men. senators alder
of New York, Edge, New Jersey, and
KENYON Iowa sgIppIemented their
fndln with additional statements askI X
spec iaI ieRlsihtIve attention 20 methods 81
producing and distributing coal
These hartman Calder said, must be
corrected while Senator Kenyon de-
cIared that if the matter is 10 70 ia for
one harsh as the Tgs~ esr NAV bel snail
favor taking over se mines senator
Edge SAID the cal fhdustry cannot bring
order out If the prevailing chaos. and give
relief 70 the suffering people. 50 ! am
ready - modift somew hat IN tins case nv
f. opposition % government Intrusion .ntO
private business
Coal prolteerIng. especially as II has
followed the priority orders II the Inter-
state Commerce Commission has con
tinued unchecked bv the Department q
Justice and j. q National disgrace. me
committee SAID III is JOINT report Coai
speculation has been permitted 70 monopo-
lIze the transportation facilities Of me
country. retarding necessary construction
and increasing the basic cost Of manu-
facture and distribution oi commodities
Our Investigation into the coal sItua-
ton has convinced us that the private IN
terests now IN control of the production
and distribution Of coal in spite Of effort,
bv some. are actually unable % prevent 3
continuance or repetition Of the present
deplOrable situation and that II IS tht
duty of the government to take such
reasonable and practical steps IS Il may
70 remedy the evil
Government administration of the pro
duction and distribution of coal, the com
mittee said should be a last res 0rt, bu'
for the present. il was recommended tina
operators. wholesalers, iobberS and re
tailers be required TO file full and fre
Quent reports with a federal agency Thes,
reports should show, the committee con
cluded total tonnage produced or han
died. size and quality thereof. amount q
tonnage contracted Tor. sold on contrac
and at spot sale 70 whom and n,
prices The reports should be suticien
10 determine costs and protrtS, and th
corporate interrclatlonS or the communi
ties OF interest. # any. between companle
producing and distributing coal.
In other fields the committee Said
there exists a serious shortage of housing
not only in the great cities but in IN
smaller cities, which it held 70 hay
deleterious effect upon public health
morals and Industrial growth
Establishment Of more trade school
by cities and States TO train apprentice
for the building trades was recommends,
as was the creation Of n federal bureau =
assist in framing building codes whicl
would secure public interests and at IN
same time lower costs.
Financing building BY investment. tn
committee said. should be aided in sewers
ways. suggesting lowering Of excess profit
and surtaxes and tax exemption for rea
estate mortgages