New-York tribune., 1922-08-30

and we are millions of tons short
! now
them a club in the form of government
power to buy and SELL
An attempt was made by Mr.. Huddle-
ston to obtain statement from Mr..
Winslow on the possibility Of legislat-
ling mines and roads into the Preei-
dents hands. When hIr. Winslow sue-
gested in reply that he "go to the White
House for that information" Mr.. Hud-
dleston said:
''1t seems to ME that that is no way
to find out what the White House
wants, because every one who goes g.
the White House brings back a differ
ent story. Perhaps 1t may be as /
intimated this morning, that each time
the chameleon has jumped again. Yes
terday nothing was suggested except
this legislation we are considering to-
day. Mr.. Hoover told ours committee
that nothing except this bill had been
approved by the Presidents coal com
mittee or himself, and asked Mr..
Hoover about that, because it has been
reported that the President wanted to
get power and take control and charge
OF the mines and the railroads, and I
wanted somebody who was fresh from
court to bring the news And Mr..
Hoover brought me the news Just yes
terday that nothing Of the kind was
desired.
Urges Harding to Take Mines
Now we find that The Associated
Press comes out and informs us that
the Presidents has told his Congress
aional spokesman which, OF course
1T cannot be possible that he refers
to any one else than the gentleman
from Massachuset etts-that he wants
power to seize railroads and seize the
mines. do not doubt but that even
tually he will ask for that power It
is the only logical thing to do; it is
the only remedy for the situation.
but what l am wondering about is IL
the President has made up his mind
to taRc them, why he does not ask for
it now. Why are we fiddling away our
time here now, and why did we fiddle
away our time last week with fact
finding investigation And now the
coal distribution investigation instead
OF something that is real, that is to
say, renll provisions. for distributing
coal to the people of this country ?"
Republican leader Mondell declared
that although he believed Congress was
ca!lad upon to take some action against
possible extortionate coal prices, he
was frank to say that he did "not be
lieve that legislation Of this kind will
wholly perform its expected purpose
we can scarcely excuse ourselves
TO our constituents and to tie coun-
try IL we do not do something to pre-
vent profiteering, Mr.. Mcndell warned,
hut our very efforts to better affairs
ana Sesap prices reasonable is likely
10 maintain high level of prices
when tho emergency is passed and
normal conditions ohtain.'
Fears Permanent High Prices
The greatest evil" which may grow
cut OF the enactment OF the Winslow
bill, he explained, may be u tendency
for maximum prices to become the
reasonable. normal prices, Instead Of
returning to the lower levels which
laws OF supply and demand to operate =
II hope that with the passage of this
bill come one will be found who will
not try to run the whole coal busi-
ness Of the United States, with the
evils Of government distribution. That
kind of coal operation should be left
saversly alone. The danger always is,
and the practice during the last Ad-
ministration was, to draw the whole
coal business OF nation through the
keyhole of an administrative office.
81 vote for this bill because | be-
lievc that legislation. under the cir
Gums tances, is probably necessary.
do not vote for it with great enthusi-
asnl, but because | hope it will helm
check the profiteer. | pray that the
occasions will be few when our Re-
public will be called upon to enact
such legislation."
The most bitter opposition to the
bill on the Republican side came from
Representative Everett Sanders, of
Indiana, member of the Interstate
and Foreign Commerce Committee. He
declared that Congress has not the
constitutional power ito say to any man
in peace times that he cannot ship his
goods because we don't think his prices
are fair" He said the Winslow bill
was purely price fixing measure and
that Sin the haste with which reason
able prices will be set by the Federal
distributor" there probably will be
many mines which will be unable to op-
crate at the figures set for the ajority
of them. He announced that he would
offer tomorrow a substitute bill on
which he would attempt to force vote.
Representative Ogden Mills, Repub-
lican, of New York City, drew from Mr..
Sanders an admission that the. states
have not the power to legislate over in
terstate coal shipme ents and that there
fore, the states which do not produce
coal will be Mt the mercy of u,iscrupu-
lous operators unless the Winslow bill
is passed.