Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-26
Serious Coal Shortage This
Winter Even If Strike Is
Settled, Is Outlook Today
BY J. BART CAMPBELL,
|. N. s. Staff CORE spondent.

Washington, Aug, 26.--Congress
was still seeking a solution today
of the knotty problem Of how an
thracite coal can be produced and
moved In sufficient quantities to pre-
vent widespread suffering this win
ter-with governmental seizure
looming in the background a. .
measure of last resort.
A serious hard coal shortage w&s
regarded by many senators as In.
evitahle. even IL the anthracits
strike is settled soon. or IN case
President Harding decides It 10 nec
essary for the government to take
over the anthracite mines.
Chairman Cummins. of the Senate
Interstate Commerce Committee, de-
clared that the remedial legisle.
ton thus far proposed does not ana
will not produce coal a. long ~ the
anthracite miners do not and will
not return to work.
As this committee began enpsi0-
Grafton Of his bill to extend the
power Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission to issue priority orders
for coal distribution, Cummins was
known to entertain the opinion that
the measure will not DO helpful" II
producing hard coal unless the an.
thracite miners agree to produce II.
Men Must Work.
I'VE have to have mon at work
IN the anthracite mines to produce
hard coal" Cum,nins said when
the anthracite miners refuse To
work hard coal Is not produced. I
still have lingering hope that tbs
anthracite operators will come to
an agreement with their employees,
but I think that II by the govern.
ment taking over the mines II can
secure men who will produce coal
In the anthracite fields let 1t try.
Can't Secure Men.
ut Is doubted whether tho Presi-
dent will be any more successful IN
hiring men to enter the coal mines
than the operators have been, be.
cause when the President Is given
the power to take over the coal
mines and when he goes to employ
coal miners, he will not be able to
secure the men. II must not be for.
gotten that the anthracite mines are
shut down tight because the men
who are employed in them are al
most all union men and refused to
work. ri
Whether tho Presidents influ-
tnco, whether the sentiment OF the
country. would make him any more
power than the operators do not
know"
Only Licensed Miners.
Cummns pointed out that in Penn
sylvania. where most OF the anthra-
cite mines are, the state law pro.
vLdes that only licensed miners
may work In the mines, and that
substantially Gil OF the licensed
miners are union men and therefore
on strike. ~
Would the President be bound
by such a law" Cummins was ask
ed
II venture no opinion upon that"
be replied. THE truth Is that there
are a good many constitutional diff
dculties which appear trivial to
some ard very formidable 10 others
about the government taking over
the coal mines, aside from the seri-
Gus problem Of It's operating them
once it takes them over.
III we meet the situation how.
ever. as we should meet 1t to pre-
vent the hardships threatening the
people, there must be concurrence
and cooperation between the gov
ornment and the states"
Although anticipating some oppo.
sition in common TO his bill, Cum
Minis hoped to report II favorably
and secure prompt action on 1t by
the Senate.