The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-31
CONGRESS ANXIOUS
FOR A VACATION
Desire to Get Away Strong
er Than Desire to End
Coal Strike
PRESIDENT HAS NO
DEFINITE POLICY
Awaiting Daily Developments Before Act
ing - Unions Realize That Seizure OF
Railroads Would Put Them at Mercy
of Railroad Executives.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.l
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31.-President
Harding has unbosomed himself to his
cabinet and other callers on the plans he
has in mind for dealing with the national
emergency growing out of the rail and
coal strikes. The President revealed
first of all that while he has no fixed
policy and is depending more or less on
day to day developments, his duty and re-
sponsibility in certain eyentualities is
clear in his mind.
The whole situation, Mr.. Harding
thinks. depends on transportation. Enough
hard coal will be available because the
President feels sure the anthracite sItua-
ton will be settled in few days. sta
tistics laid on the cabinet table showed
soft coal tonnage is satisfactory ana that
no shortage will develop if the coal now
being mined can be distributed from the
mouth of mine to the consumer. Inc
shopmen'S strike is interfering with
transportation.
Between Two Fires.
Mr.. Harding has been in the midst of
debate between sets of advlsers-thoSe
who favor and those who oppose govern
ment operation of anything. Enough
arguments have been advanced by both
sides to make Mr. Harding aware of the
terrific responsibilities which would De
involved. Furthermore, outside OF the
cabinet there has been a pressure of two
groups. one of which insists that to take
over mines or railroads would be playing
into the hands of the unions as they are
said to want government operation be-
cause it means better wages, and the
other which declares that the unions do
on hpp0nSp
the governments method will be virtually
to uphold the employers by giving fed
eral protection. At first glance the lat
ter view might not seem clear, but what
Mr. Harding knows is that if he has to
take over the roads he will have TO de-
pend upon the present railroad executives
to run them and that the men will be
working for the same individuals as they
now oppose, only under government oper-
alton the railroad executives would have
federal troops, federal court authority
and every agency of the government at
their beck and call
The President therefore, after listen
ing to the pro and con of the government
seizure of mines and roads, is heSitant to
plunge the government into any such ven
ture, To use the word "hesitant' is to
put it mildly-he is hoping against hope
that he will not have to do it. Mean
while, however, congress is restlessly
ltCHllS IOE ii NdCdllOll Willie the
ence committee wrestles with the tariff
bill. Political advisors like Senator James
Watson of Indiana and John L. Adams,
chairman of the Republican national com
mittee, have discussed with the President
the whole question of political conse-
quences growing out of government oper-
alton.
Ought to Have Authority.
So Mr.. Harding came TO this conclu-
Il. i
authority to take over certain coal carry
ing roads, and such mines as will be nee
essary TO insure a sufficient production
of fuel for the nation. He promises not
TO use the authority except in dire emer-
gency and believes congress ought to
trust him to use the right sort of judg-
ment as to the existence or non-existence
of an emergency.
But congress never has given blanket
authority except in time of war, and
lately there has been tendency TO guard
lealOuSly the powers of congress- some
thing which Mr.. Harding himself has en-
couraged. Mr.. Harding realizes that
congress might not want to give him this
blanket power so he heSitates to ask for
it because if he asks and congress does
not grant it the effect would be to hurt
Republican members of congress upon
whose head the political responsibility for
lack of fuel might be thrust The Presi-
dent made IT clear TO those who discussed
the matter with him that for the mo-
ment he viii not ask for the power in
any formal way. Congress knows infor-
mally through those who have been at the
White House that he wants it, If CON
gress sees fit to grant it, AR Harding
viii be gratifed but he will not insist
for the present and he acknowledges that
political consideration may interfere with
the attitude of congress in acting on the
no
acute than it is.
The policy then is to see whether the
railroads can operate efficiently enough
TO carry coal. If they can, MIR. Harding
viii make the next move and will chi
congress back if it happens to be in rail-