New-York tribune., 1922-04-01
" ashington
Action Awaits
"Energency'' %
(Continued from pace ene)

at the facts concerning the soft coal
industry, just as a committee headed
by Senator Calder in the last Congress
sought the facts concerning the anthra-
cite coal industry.
La Toilette AssaiIs Operators
Another Senate development was a
statement issued by Senator La Fol
.lette, in which he charged flatly that
the mine operat tors are responsible for
the strike and that this is a part Of an
"inferna" pan to deflate labor and
destroy the unions. He charged the
United States Supreme Court and the
lower courts, through abuse of the in
junction and tic ecisons, are de-
priving the workers of their only means
of defense. He called the movement to
crush labor an effort to reduce Amer
lean workers ito the condition of Rus
sian serfs."
Senator Cummins. chairman of the
Senate Committee on Interstate Com
merce. said the action CT the operators
in refusing to negotiate with the
was ill-advised and would not succeed
1t was deemed not unlikely there
would be joint movement to-day by
the House Labor Committee and the
Labor, Of which Senator Borah is chair
man, to bring about conference of
operators and miners. However, Sena-
tor Borah and Chairman Nolan, of the
House Labor Committee, did not at
tempt any such movement. and Sena-
tor Borah said it seemed advisable for
the present to allow the House Labor
Committee, which has taken the intia-
tive, to 60 ahead and see what facts
could be developed,
Senator Caldcr's resolution. though
blocked to-day. is expected soon to
pass 1t is as follows:
Text of Calder Resolution
Whereas. An existing controversy
between the coal mine operators and
their employees vitality touches the in
terest and welfare of the public as a
whole: therefore, be it
"Resolvcd That the Federal Trade
Commission be and is hereby directed
to make inquiry immediately into the
conditions in the production and dis
tribution of bituminous coal to re-
quire data as to the factors in the cost
of production. including labor. invest
ment, supple. and all other items
the cost OF transportation, the margins
in wholesaling, jobbing and retailing
the coal and the price paid by the con-
suming public, and TO report the facts
to the Serc'e as eXpcditiously as pos
slble by way OF rartial reports from
;ime TO i'll and final report at the
earl S; ..omeat."
Sen,A Calder said that Just as he
had formerly brought about a Senate
Investigation into the anthracite coal
industry. with Che result that i'm
portant facts We're disclosed, so he was
convinced an inve stigation into the
at is claimed profits are abnormal ard
that wages are abnormal" he said.
"Ihe country ought to know the facts. "
Operators to Appear Next Week
Several Of big operators who will
appear before the Congressional inves-
tigation early next week are repre-
sentatlves OF the Southern Appalachian n
Coal Operators Association, of Knox
vilie, Tenn; Harry N. Taylor. Of Kan
sas City, representing the operators Of
that section, and Charles o. Nell, sec
retary Of the Central Coal Association,
of Altoona. Pa.
Soft Coal for Fifty-one Days
The estimate submitted to the com
mittee to-day of the amount of bitum-
inous coal in the hands of the consum-
ers as the strike begins is $4,000 900
tons. This was brought cut at to-dav's
hearing by r. G. Tryon, coal statistician
of the United States Geological Survey.
of coal is consumed at the rate it
was consumed during January and
February this estimated stock in the
hands of consumers should last tifty-
one days said Tryon.
On March the Geological Survey
estimated that the supply of soft coal
held by consumers was sufficient for
fortythrce days. 1t was explained that
these figures deal with general aver
ages and do not mean that there will
be ample for all classes of consumers
for fifty one days. Some stocks will
last longer than that period. while
that time, should there be a complete
stoppage of production.
~~he railroads and public utilities have
been busy piling up reserves since the
strike has been approaching. said
Tryon, and should be in better position
to withstand the strike than other
branches OF industry.
Tryon pointed out that past expert
ence has shown that when the reserve
| supply gets as low as 2o,0oo,0oo tons
the market becomes demoralized and
that it takes an average of two weeks
for the flow Of coal from The point of
production to the ultimate consumer.
Large Supply Of Hard Coal
"The best that can be said about the
anthracite situation" Tryon continued,
SIS that the stocks in the hands of the
consumers are at least as large as at
the corresponding period in any past
year and very much greater than in
1920"
1t is impossible tn estimate the
amount Of anthracite in the hands Of
householders. the committee was told
Stocks IN coal dealers yards we're
characterized RS considerable. "ex-
ceeding January l, 1919, by 2l per cent
and very much more than the CORE
spending period Of 1890"