Evening star., 1922-10-19
Non-Political Character of Coal
Commission Is Accepted.

No act of President Hardings has
been so widely approved as his selec-
ton Of the membership of the coal fact
, finding commission. Editors of all
| variety of political belief are agreed
| that the membership is of a quality that
can be depended on to go to the root of
f, the evils in the coal industry and to
recommend concrete remedies for them.
The only nota of pessimsm comes from
! those editors who reflect that the COM
mission itself has no power to bring re-
forms into existence, but that its work.
! to be successful, must depend on
congressional sanction. Because this
inquisitorial body really represents the
public at large the hope is expressed in
| most quarters that public influence will
compel respect for any recommended
tions that come unanimously from the
commission.
| 1t should be remembered, the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat points out, that
| "the fact-finding commission represents
the interest of the public in the coal in
dustry. After it has conducted an In
uuiry into the facts, the public. knowing
| the facts and the serious effects that
may result from them, may demand in
telligent regulation for its own protec-
| ton. President Harding seems to have
appointed an excellent commission. We
surate value" So much depends on
the inQuiry's thoroughness that the
Mobile Register insists it's record of
facts must be $50 complete and accur-
ate as to be indisputable. Only in such
a case will its service be of any lasting
. 4 OBJ
cel!ent," the Albany Knickerbocker
Press says. and IF the commission sue
ceeds in discovering and reporting
plain. straightforward statement of
what it really costs to produce and de-
liver ton of coal, it will have thrown
| a huge ray of light upon subject that
has been a blank mystery. Perhaps it
! is not too much to hope that its inves-
| tigation will make the matter of a just
solution of the coal problem much more
simple than it has ever seemed The
fact that political consideration had no
| weight in making up the body. and that
neither miners not operators are rep
resented" leads the Detroit Free Press
| to hope that the commission, as
whole, may therefore be expected to
| take a judicial attitude and to agree
substantially when the report is made
The commission appeals to the Chi
cago News as "a trustworthy. repre-
sentative, capable body" which has
! 'the opportunity for public service in
| helping to bring order out of waste
full chaos in an essential industry
which should prove exceptionally in
spring to the able men who. compose
| the commission" The Quincy Whig-
Journal in it's turn pays tribute to
| the worth of the investigators. ex-
! pressing the hope that somewhere In
! its investigations the commission re-
solves that coal, like gas and cleo
tricity. is public utility and subject
| to regulations on behalf Of the public.
| which prevent it from being play
! thing for either miners or operators,
| and that the supply on which the pub
! lie depends must not be interrupted
| by the whims of either" 1ndorsing
! this view, the Portland Express makes
| il plain that after the board finds
| what ought to be done the next prob
| lem will be to see that its recommen-
| dations are carried out. That will pc
the job Of Congress. The task may may
| not be an easy one. but 1t Will heip
! that the report upon which 1t Will
have to work will possess the support
and confidence of the public. The per
sonnel Of the commission assures
! this" ,u,-
character have failed is no reason Ior
apprehension at this time. the Cleve-
| land Plain Dealer asserts, 1nasmuch
| as this commission promises 70 oe a
fact-finding commission in iact as
well as name Just what may be done
with its findings after they are maue
must, of course, remain ques.lo,, :,
! hut any legislative action which may
be taken should be predicated on full
and accurate information: When the
! coal commission has made Its report
there is reason for believing ina.
| Congress will have all data essential
| ~ intel1ieent legislation" They are
intrusted." the New York Tribune
further points out, with an economic
mission of the widest constructing
possibilities. They can restore the
coal industry to health. ana o.,1n thus svaru aru
man woman and child in the United
States. State The public's, best wishes go
with them in this urgent task They
are the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazett
continues, "to dissipate the fog OF nc
l tion with which tha people nave oeen