Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-08
THE "LET-US-ALONE" LOBBY
AGAIN CHARGES WASHINGTON
How the Edge. Calder coal.control BIZ
Got Tangled UP with Plans for the
Naturalization Of Chops

week as one OF the organizations that have
flung the gage Of battle at Congress in
| the rising war to prevent such federal reg
ulation in the coal industry as has been de.
| manded by Senator Edge, Senator Calder
| and majority of their colleagues Mr..
Trisg was on the ground ito express the
| opposition Of the business men Of Philadel-
| phia."
1t happens that the business men in Phila-
| delphia. like business men everywhere else
! in the co""try. have been systematically
| plundered by the exclusive group Of oppor.
tunists who rule in the bituminous and an
thracite fields and markets. One Of the
| spokesmen for the lords and barons Of the
| coal industry virtually admitted that $780,
| ono, 900 was extortcd from coal users within
the last year. Mr.. Calder told the Senate
| that the loot was not less thai a billion
| and a half.
Did that money come out Of the pockets
of business men or did II come out of the
! air? Or shall we believe the worst and
! assume that it was taken from household
! consumers?
What Mr.. Edge and Mr.. Calder propose
and what Mr.. Hoover proposed before them
is system which, operating after the man.
| ner of the Interstate Commerce Commission,
might be depended on to facilitate the pro-
duction and distribution OF fuel and at the
| same time eliminate intolerable pressure
which. e1erted BY few men for their own
| profit. has tended to induce something like
| paralysis. in some industries and to strain
| public patience TO the breaking point.
The invisible government Of the coal fields
and all the apostles of the let US alone school
| Of economics were confronted With a wholly
now and disturbing sct Of conditions when
| the Senate passed the bill to provide for
| limited federal control Of fuel.
They couldn't call Senator Edge n Red.
! They couldn't make even Mr.. Palmer believe
that Senator Calder was acting under secret
| instructions from Moscow and furtively en-
deavorinS TO overthrow the government.
There could be no dark suggestions OF sov.
lettering in high places
Calder and Edge. who formulated the coal
bill, are Of and for the conservatives. In
the money. madness Of controlling cliques In
| some of the basic Industries they recognize
a danger to the peace and prosperity Of the
whole country and a direct menace to the
right Of private initiative in legitimate in
dustrial organization. Thry sac small
cliques grouino more popertul, not as
friends Of business, out as Il, enemies.
II wns difficult TO understand why far
sighted business men should object to bring
ing order out Of the chaos in the coal bust
ness or why there should BE- an organized
| movement OF any sort against plan devised
for justice and increased efficiency in an in .
dustry that is essential to all others. II
was difficult until Joseph II. Detrees entered
] on the scene.
Then the light broke brightly through the
| haze.
Mr. Dcfrees does not have to buy fuel for
factories. His overhead has not mounted
steadily. Indeed, IL is seriously to be cues
toned whether he is in the least concerned
about the price Of coal or the fate of the coal
barons though nc is the man who wrote tho
brief which opens with q rousing attack on
! the Calder Edge scheme Of federal regulation
Mr. pefrees Is a vice president Of the
| United States Chamber OF Commerce and O
corporation lawyer. His headquarters are
in Chicago. In Chicago the meat packers
have their headquarters. And it happens
, that n bill for federal control Of the mea
supply, which in spirit and intention is mucl
| Ike the Edge Calder coal bill. Is now unde
| consideration in Congress.
Meat packing is highly organized an,
Eighly technical. No one who hasn't takeI
a long time TO study it is qualified to sa
= whether it needs regulation or whether
. doesn't In some aspects II seems ettiricn
+ and useful. But why 1t should need TO carr
y on its fight for Independence behind a screc
\ crratcd out of the Edge Calder coal bill! wi
be Il mystery for a while yet
: From Chicago Mr.. Defrees journeyed I
Washington with the tablets of the mora
and economic law as il is written and believe
in by good corporation lawyers intimntel
associated with the biggest sort Of business
lie said
u The war inevitably led to vast in
. crease In federal jurisdiction and contr,
r not only Of the freedom Of business but
the freedom OF individual citizens
We believe we are vocing not only the bus
ps ness but also the popular sentiment in tn
!. country in favor of the quickest possib
!. Liquidation Of this overhead control, so r,
ID pugnant 70 American inStitutions.'
y This sentiment follows after proong'
ne objection TO system of legislation that.
il appears to the spokesman for the init,
a. States Chamber Of Commerce. tends to e
,lt tabliSh not only the power Of federal col
cs troll over industry but a right Of the govern
ts ment actually to 60 into industry as q con
o. petitor with private interests.
NV The government doesn't want to 20 in
H. the coAl business or the meat business. T
nc people do not rant q 10 90 in. And.
,er course, il will never go in so long ns n
nd other means Is left TO II for the prescryati
Of industrial order and the elimination
". destructive. dangerous and unjust econou
IA practices.
IN Mr.. Defrees seems to know this. He Ia
the without much enthusiasm about coal in
inv brief that will be presented TO Congr,
il today. He deplores the Edge Calder bill a
Ing draws attention sOIelhhIy 10 Whdt ne rcgal
ecs as most dangerous principle. 1t IL VII
he gets to the subject of meat that he
eloquent. There plainly Is the quest
nearest his heart.
One may easily sympathize with him. 7
the packers are not In the same category "
Gu the producers OF fuel. No one ever died
&c. want Of meat and no less person Il
,urt bernard Shaw insists that the world wo
the be happier and healthier II II subss
the wholly on vegetables.
Coal is an altogether different matt
aims Without It business must stop and trOI
ions lines cease to operate and electric lights
ourt out and the safety Of great communities r
auss be imperiled.
not The temptation to prohteer in coal. TO
control of 1t and ladle It out to the higI
,urt, bidders, as many OF the distributing