Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-29
GOVERNOR FOR PASSAGE
of EDGE COAL BILL
Continued from Page Onc)
AUBU 20 WI
Hon. Walter T.. Edge,
ID. c..

3 20 lJ--.
Hon. Walter +. Edge,
Washington, ID. c.
MY dear Senator-I read with
much interest the text of your bill
for the prompt taking over and op-
Grafton of the coal mines, and L
earnestly trust that it becomes a law
{ at the earliest possible moment. We
I all hope it may not be necessary for
| the President to exercise the power
vested in him by the terms of the
measure. but the fact remains that
unless something is done. and done
Immediately, that is the only real
, solution of the problem. Further
more, it is a measure hat should
be firmly and indelibly written into
the law Of the land. I know of no
! nor salutary preventative of a con-
ditiOn such as the one that is now
with us than the existence on Il
statute books of a law such as the
one you have introduced. Had
such a law been in force on April
/, 1922, it is extremely doubtful if
the strike beginning on that day and
continuing to the present time would
ever have occurred.
The trouble to date is that the
public is absolutely at the mercy of
the private interests that now conf
tlOl III III II liolu ~ Nv |
that such conditions do exist in this
enlightened age What would the
people think if the water supply of
New York City or n of the other
great municipalities were controlled
by a private corporation and might
be shut off indefinitely because of a
difference oven wages paid by the
operators of the supply? The use of
coal today, and particularly in our
section at certain times of the year,
is almost as essential as the watL-'
supply. Thousands of householders
in u own state have absolutely no
substitute for anthracite coal. The
same is true of all the metropolitan
district, and, in fact, pretty much all
of the Atlantic seaboard. Under eX-
listing condition we are at the mercy
of the anthracite mine operators.
list: the crisis has been reached, re-
gardless of what anyone may think
to the contrary.
Our State Fuel Commission has
figures showing that less than 1900
tons of anthracite have been mined
weekly at any period during the last
four months, when the output should
have been 1,750,000 tons. Our
and retail dealers through
out the state are without a supply
of anthracite, and car only say to
customers that there is
not a pound in sight. In the city of
alone, with it's half-million
a careful survey shows
in the hands of dealers 1900 tons
of anthracite.
Were the mines to start operating
tomorrow and work without cessa-
ton to their utmost capacity from
now on the supply is bound to DC
because of the five months of
which has resulted in the
loss of at least 30,000,000 tons of
anthracite coal that should, during
that period, have been shipped to
various sections of the country.
Even with mining resumed, we in
East realize that up to Deem
Der LIST much of the anthracite out
put will be diverted for the use of
the West and northwest before traf-
on the lakes is suspended.
This is all the more reason why
rot a single day should he lost in
forcing the, resupmtion Of opera
tons. The head of the Miners AS
ISOLATION Is quoted by ali tho news
agencies as declaring there will be
no doubt of the miners returning at
once to work under Federal tegula-
ton. He is also quoted az saying
hal the miners were ready to go
lack at their old wage. continuing
until 1924. but that the operators
baked unless an arbitration agree
nent was arrived at. The time for
9rbitration and pafleying is passed,
and the time for action IS mere. 1t
we don't act now something more
serious may happen next winter.
Assuming that the operators and
miners do agree. we have no more
assurance today than we had April
list that their agreement il going
to stand, but with your law IN the
statute books we have a guarantee
that their agreement Will continue.
or the United States government will
continue to operate for them.
"A bill like yours shoull have been
the law of the land years ago. 1t
should always remain on our statute
books. No President would use it
unless an emergency arose, and l
earnestly trust that you will use ev-
ery means at your command to force
its speedy enactment. If there is
any way by which the people at
home may aid ydl, let Us know.
Sincerely yours.
"EDWARD J. EDWARDS,"
"G~overnOr."