Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-25
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES
[. N. S. Staff CORRESPONDENT


gress wrestled around today with
coal legislation, President Harding
met today with his cabinet at the
white house to consider govern
mental policies in the railroad
strike-the key to the whole chao-
tic industrial situation.
Unless the shopmen's strike is
settled within a reasonably short
time, it was readily conceded by
cabinet members that the benefic
ial effects of the bituminous adjust
ment will be largely nullified thru
inability of the railroads to trans
port the coal that is now coming
out of the mines.
Secretary OF Commerce Hoover
took to the cabinet meeting opti-
mistic reports regarding produc-
tion of the essential bituminous
coal. The major problem now, he
said, is transportation of coal to
those sections of the country who're
it is most needed, notably New Eng
land and tn, northwest.
Shipments Congested
The railroads are facing a gigan-
tic task in the movement of com
modities Of all descriptions. From
every state in the union there is a
cry for more coal; the west is be-
ginning to clamor for cars in which
to move its seasonable crops and as
a result of the embargoes and pri-
critics established by the Inter
state Commerce Commission, com
mOdities of all descriptions have
congested in warehouses awaiting
shipment.
Much Coal Delayed
The car shortage Is normal at
this time Of the year. 1t has been
accentuated now by the eight week
strike of railway shopmen, and i'm
paired motive power has resulted in
thousands of loaded cars being side
tracked along the main lines be
cause of scarcity Of locomotives to
haul them. Experts identified with
the federal coal commission esti-
mated today that there We're 10000
cars of coal delayed in transit in
the midwest.
Look For Separate Peace
To all appearances today, Presi-
dent Harding and his advisers were
still looking hopefully toward New
York where negotiations are in
progress between the strike lead
ers and a growing number of rail
way executives over separate peace
adjustments.
1t was marked as a favorable
sign by government officials that a
growing number of executives have
identified themselves with the sep
arate peace efforts. They marked,
too, that it was just such an inaus-
picious start toward separate
peace in the coal industry that
would Immediately result in peace.
Government officials were chary
of discussing the outlook for fear,
ferees in New York, but it was the
they said, Of embarrassing the con
concensus of opinion among cabi-
net members that the separate
peace plan offered the best sOlu-
ton of the whole problem.
Roads Anxious For Peace
Individually, with few excep-
lions, the railway executives are
anxious for peace; collectively, Of
course, they cannot recede from
! the position they have taken
said one official, This is shown by
the increasing number of execu-
tives who have Joined the separate
peace crowd in New York.
1T must be remembered that
this ordinarily is the harvest sea-
son for the railroads as we'll as the
farmers. Coal must be moved as
we'll as the enormous crops of the
west.
Question OF Profits
ut is, of course, possible for the
railroads to maintain service in
face of the strike, but they can not
make profitable transportation in
the strike, because of the expenses
incident to combating it. Settle
the strike, and they can immedi
ately start moving profitable bust
ness; continue it and they cannot.
1t is a question of profits-and Of
retirement from an impossible sit
uation without the blare of trump