New-York tribune., 1922-05-03
L. S. Industry
Facing Tie-Up
InCoal Strike
Bland, Fresh From Confer
ence With Harding, Warns
House of Urgent Need
of Sterilization Measure
Reveals Presidents Plan
Year Round Operation
and Elimination of Over
development Are Urged

From Thc TlT5mto's Washington Buyco4
( WASHINGTON, May .. Fresh from
4 White House conference with Prcsl-
dent Harding on the coal strike situa-
tion. Representative Oscar Bland Re
publican, OF Indiana, author of the bill
creating a Federal coal Investigation
agency which is to be recommended
this week for passage, warned the
House to-day that the time Is fast ap-
preaching when all industrial progress
VII be crippled. In long speech eN-
pected to whip the House into action
on the strike problem, Mr. Bland re
vealed for the first time the general
outline OF the plan being worked out
by President Harding and his Cabinet
for permanent StQblIZatlon of tine in
dUstry.
The government. he indicated, rs at
tacking the whole problem from the
angle that the seasonable character Of
the coal business is its prime basic evil
and that il Ia one-third overdcve oped
with Improbable mines. OF outstand-
lnC Importance among the proposed
remedies for the sick business" he
declared, are elimination of this over
development with view 20 stcadier
work. cheaper per diem wages and
cheaper production costs, and larger
summer production and distribution TO
couraged by g summer freight rate.
Steady Production Sought
1T s hoped, by those who are think
ing TIC deepest on this great national
problert that we may eventually find
a rc->odw for the evils in the coal in
dustry aud that it may be established
so that we may have a steady pro
duction at all seasons during tho year
and when competition viii reign and
cheap fuel may be had with good.
far profit to the operators and good
wage and steady work for the en-
ployees,' said Representative Bland in
taking up his discussion of the plan
being worked out under the supervision
of Secretary Of Commerce Hoover.
Earlier in his speech the Indiana
member, who has taken a prominent
part in the House hearings on the
strike as d member of the labor com
mittee, urged the need for a Federal
fact-fnding agency following an attack
upon the operators for refusing to
divulge production figures, The opera.
tor does not want the country to know
what it costs him to produce it. be
cause he realizes that in many in
stances the public would feel outraged
and that some rotsliatory measure
would be resorted to. said MIR, Bland.
"Ono month OF the great coal strike
has passed into history with no imme-
diate prospect OF the contendinc forces
getting together in settlement 1t is
estimated that there arc $4,000 strik-
ing coal miners IN the country to-day
and very few Of them are employed
temporarily in any other capacity.
''lt is true that the pinch from want
of fuel has not been severely felt as
yet, but the time is fast approaching
when our splendid industrial progress
will be crippled to a marked degree.
/ During the last month a tremendous
! amount Of economic waste has takcr
place, Onc-twelfth of the year for
many thousands of men has been lost
forever. The Republics greatness and
usefulness have been impaired and
weakened. Its wealth and commercial
prestige must inevitably suffer How
long it is to continue no one can say