Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-23
SPEED IN COAL
/ LEGISLATION IS
/ CONGREsSP
Two Bills Now Ready
for Considerations
Lewis Takes a Hand,
Both Miners and Opera
tors Left Out of Fact
Finding Commission,

Washington, Aug. 22-ConsresS
Tuesday night was ready to russ
through its first stage Wednesday 4
bill recommended by the president fol-
creation of q federal commission to zen
all the facts relating to the coal indusI
try and on which miners and operators
would not be represented.
Two bills, slightly different in soma
essential provisions, were reportedJ
one to the senate, and the other to tho
house. The Winslow measure, introS
duced Monday, will be taken up By tho
house Wednesday under special rulS
giving 1t the right of way. There waa
an intimation that the Borah commis .
sion bill! ordered reported to the senate
by lts labor committee, Of which Een-
ator Borah is member, also might be
called up Wednesday, but there was .
possibility that the senate would delay
consideration until the house had
acted.
While the general view was that tho
house would pass the Winslow bill by
wide margin of votes, there were
rum6hngs Of an impending fight, to bs
led by Representative Bland, republic
can, Indiana. author Of fact-findint
commission bill now on the house cal
endar which stipulates that both miners
and operators shall have equal repres
sentation on the commission.
An authorised spokesman for the ad,
ministration declared at the White
House during the day, however, that
the president was opposed to a coms
mission composed in part of mine own.
ers and miners. The Winslow bin
would make them ineligible for mem.
bership but the Borah measure would
leave their selection to the president.
Advised of the stand of the president
and the committees, John L. Lewis.
president of the United Mine Workers.
took hand in the controversy. In q
telegram from Philadelphia to Rep
resentative Bland, Mr.. Lewis declared
the Cleveland conference agreement
provided for equal representation on
an investigation committee and II the
federal government proposed to dis
regard their rights and privileges in
making an independent inquiry. re
sponsibility viii lie with those who recs
ommend such action"
Meanwhile work proceeded on tho
draft of emergency legislation to con-
troll coal prices and to provide for
equitable distribution of fuel Word
reached house leaders that the bill
would be submitted Wednesday to the
president for approval by the central
coal committee, Of which Secretary
Hoover is chairman. As explained BY
Secretary Fall. a member of the CONF
mite, two plans were proposed, one
giving added powers to the interstate
commerce commission to enable it to
use it's authority for ALLEGATION of coal
cars as a means Of holding operators
to fair prices. The other, it was stat.
ed, would follow the suggestion of the
president for use of funds by a spe.
cially created agency to stabilize coa1
prices. Members Of the house inters
state commerce committee to which the
bill would be presented said, however,
that 1t would contain no provision foP
any government agency to buy or sell
coal.
The Winslow bill, as finally re-drafts
ed, provides for a commission OF not
more than nine members, to be aps
pointed by. the president, with thq
advice and consent of the senate.~
The commission would elect its own
chairman, make its first report Janus
airy 1, next, and would continue In life
for one year only.
The Borah bill proposed a member
ship of five and there were reports
Tuesday night that the house might
cut its bill to that number, since mine
owners and miners would be denied