The New York herald., 1922-07-24
COAL OPERATORS ASK
HARDING FOR inquiry
Want Non-Partisan Body to
Investigate Situation in
Mine Fields.
OFFER TO AID PRESIDENT
Tribunal Should Be Appoint
ed at Once, a. NJ. Ogle
Declares.
OFFER TO AID PRESIDENT

INDIANAPOLIS, July 20 ,(Associated
Press).-President Harding was urged
to appoint Immediately a non-partisan
fact finding tribunal to inquire into
the coal situation in telegram sent
to him tonight by A. M. Ogle, presi-
dent of the National Coal Association.
The President announced the consider
alton Of such commission last week.
Mr.. Ogle, in the telegram, also sug-
gested the appointment of one miner
and one operator as technical advisers.
but neither to have a vote or voice In
the deliberations Of the tribunal
Such a tribunal il appointed imme-
diately could develop within a COM
paratively short time such facts re-
garding the coal industry, says the
telegram, as would strengthen your
hand in carrying out your program
to start the mines in accordance with
your proclamation to the Governors Of
the several States involved"
The telegram reads:
I'm order that there may be no mis-
understanding in the minds OF the MEM
bers of your Administration or In the
minds of the public concerning the atti-
tude of the operators who attended
YOUR Washington conference, toward
the appointment OF a fact-finding tri-
bunal by you. respectfully and strong
ly urge upon you the -advisability OF i'm
nediately selecting the men who YOU
desire to lact. SO. that the. tribunal can
! proceed ut once to investigate the ques-
| tions at issue between the miners and
operators in the union fields AS we
have pointed out before, we strongly
feel that this Tribunal should be nom
partisan without either miners or oper-
ators being included in it's membership.
'A"If 1t is felt advisable by you to have
technical advice for the benefit of the
tribunal, I might suggest that one OPP
orator could be selected by the oper-
ators and one miner by the miners to sit
with your tribunal in a purely advisory
capacity, but without voice or vote
feel and i know that large majority,
IL not all. OF the union bituminous oper-
ators feel that such a tribunal selected
by you il Immediately appointed could
. within a comparatively short time de.
velop outstanding essential facts in re-
gard to the situation.
with such facts before 1t. the tribunal
would be able to give information to the
pablic and to you that would strengthen
your hand in carrying out your program
to stare the mines in accordance with
your proclamation to the Governors of
the several States involved. on basis
OF wages which inevitably must mean
pquidation of costs and prices to meet
the demands and requirements OF the
public and industry.
I'VE also have in mind that a thor
ough investigation of all the facts relat-
ing to the union bituminous coal fields
will be extremely helpful to the Ameri-
can public and to the coal industry as
well and should lead to some con-
structive suggestions.
You may be assured that in the
meantime the operators Of Indiana are
earnestly working with Gov. McCray
and the local authorities to determine
the best and most effective plan under
which production of coal can be resumed,
and am informed that the operators
in all other States. are working to the
same end. All operators III all districts.
union and on-union, unite In supporting
you. in your, determination to protect
every man in his inalienable right TO
work..