Evening star., 1922-08-28
PRESIDENT HOPES
/. TOAVO|D SEEING
RAILS AND MINES
Week End Parleys on May
flower Center Efforts on
Moving Coal.
CONGRESS COMMITTEES
SPEEDING FUEL BILLS
Senators Vote to Report Favorably
Cummins Measure to Create
Distribution Agency.
nv the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
While the committees of the Senate
and House were at work today to per
feet coal distribution leslsiatioi
recommended by the administrator
President Harding and his advisers
prepared to bring to bear all the po"
ers they now possess for improve
ment of fuel transportation 1acili'
ties.
AS a result of the Presidents week
end conferences it was indicated tna'
he still believed it would be possioie
to restore normal conditions withou'
resort to government operation oi
rail and coal properties affected oS
the strike situation, and that ne iei'
much could be done in that direction
even before Congress acts TO create
. fuel distribution agency and 'e
clothe the Interstate Commerce com
mission with additional powers over
priority.
At the same time, however, both tne
Senate and House interstate COM
nerce committees were redoubline
their efforts to complete the distrlpu-
ton and priority bills, and steps 70
authorize the executive to take osel
roads and mines remained IN tne
offing with congressional opinion III
yided as to the advisab billty OF SUCH
a course at the present moment.
Parleys on Mnyiower.
With the Presidents return tc
Washington this morning from
week end cruise on the yacht May
flower, where Secretary Hoover, At
torney General Daugherty and Chalr'
man Cummins of the Senate commit
tee were among his guests and con-
ferees, it was indicated that for the
time being the attention OF executive
officials would be centered Win IN
creased vigor upon what Is satu .n ~ ,'s Ds
of the whole Industrial situation-the
movement of coal.
As outlined in an authoritative
auarter, the Mayf1ower conferences
reached the conclusion tnat the DIT
luminous coal situation was In ialr
way to clear itself up entirely, that
the anthracite strike showed lndlea-
tions of settlement in the very near
future and that if facilities couid De
proyided to accelerate shipment OF the
fuel supplies thus promised the gen.
eraI situation would be such as to en-
able a gradual re-establishment OF
complete stability. :.
lust what executive steps are in
contemplation to facilitate coal snip
ments was not revealed, but 1t was
indicated that both the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the emeT :
gency fuel distribution machinery al
ready set up would be relled on 10
proyide effective measures to protect
the interests of the pubac. Ihere
we're intimations that in order 10 get
the maximum results a curtailment
of passenger, express ana 1reighi
traffic in all commodities except 1uel
and essential foodstuffs was among
the possibilities.
Cummins Ii Reticent.
Chairman Cummins. who has advo-
cated steps to authorize presidential
operation of roads and mines, would
not discuss the Mayfiower ccnversa-
lions on his return to the Capitol to-
day. but he indicated that he might
not offer for the present the authoriz-
ing legislation he has prepared. 1t
was the clear implication of all the
leaders, both in executive and legis-
latiye circles, however, that possible
action in that direction still was a
part of the government strike pro
gram IL lesser measures do not prove
with little discussion and no record
vote. the Senate committee voted a
favorable report today on the Cum
Minis bill to create coal distribution
agency and to extend the authority
Of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion over priority of shipments, and
il was indicated that the measure
probably would be taken up in the
senate itself later in the week. At
the same time the House committee
began a five-hour hearing on COM
panion bill presented by Chairman
Wanslow. with the intention Of max
ing a report before night and bring
ing the bill into the House tomorrow.
There was noticeably increased op-
timism at the White House today
over the anthracite situation, officials
close to the President indicating that
they expected some agreement within
forty-eight hours that would insure
a resumption of hard coal production.
ferences in progress at Philadelphia.
where peace oyertures originating
from Washington were reported to
have made a favorable impression.
Coal LoadinEs Boosted.
A new high-water mark for coal
Ioadings since the strike began was
announced by the Association OF
Railway Executives, whose figures
for last Friday, the latest available,
showed that, on that day 21,S6s cars
were loaded. The highest previous
total since the strike began in April
was 1908 cars on August 21 On
the basis Of figures already received,
the association announced that load
inRs for the whole of last week prob
ably exceeded 6,250,0O0 tons
In promptly voting approval of the
distribution and priority bill, mem
bers Of the Senate interstate COM
merce committee took the position
that the whole question would have
to be threshed out on the floor of the
Senate, and that 1t was useless for
the committee to waste time debating
it. 1t was said also that the COM
mitee action had bound none of the
members to support the measure on
the floor.
While the Senate interstate COM
merce committee was mapping out q
plan for handling the Cummins dis
tributfon and priority bill. fve-hour
hearing on q companion measure, in
troduced by Chairman Winslow, was
begun by the House committee. It
was the intention Of leaders on the
House side to report the Winslow
measure out before night and to take
it up for debate on the House floor
tomorrow.
Secretary Hoover told the commit
49, a Ah 1<w - t.