The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-22
|EENYllNSG0.AL
B|u.0PP0SED
BESlTH|ERLAND
West Virginia Senator
Says Features Are
Innocuous :
|BLANES HIGH RATES
Compares Federal Control
of4 Railroads During
War

tN&AA9t44ANHAOANbt0 ~ VI Ecu. SG.-
Special There is nothing IL
the strike possibilities centerins
about April 1 that demands the In
augnration of such a drastic limo.
yattonF in our industrial life as Il
s1ggested by the Kenyon bill,
writes Senator Howard Sutherland
IN the current issue Of the Coal Re
view of the press today.
The article Is on the Kenyon bill
which was introduced by the retir
ing iowan 9 week ago, ana which
proposes, among other things, tc
create q national coal commission
consisting Of nine members-three
representing the miners, three the
coal industry and three the public
Senator Sutherland chatactorizes
the Kenyon bill as "a symptom Of
paternalism" and this he character
lzess q Vice with which tine Alncrf
can people became familiar during
the worldswar.
me article which gives an idea
Of Senator sutherland's views on
collateral issues, as we'll, is OF time
n interest as well as importance
Il IS the first formal expression
made by him on public questions
for some time.
The article in its entirety fol
lows by courtesy Of the Coal Re
view:
Replying 10 your inquiry regard
ing my views upon the proposal
made by Senator Kenyon, S. 3147
Tor the creation OF a labor board
for the adjustment Of disputes be-
tween employers and employees in
the coal mining industry, and for
other purposes, could not uuder
take to discuss fully the problems
that are presented in this I'LL, but
will say generally that 1t Is but
one OF many symptoms that have
been apparent during the pas: dec
ade or two that have strongly tend
ed toward paternalism In govern
inent. This tendency was strong
~ accumulated during the recent
world war 1t became absolutely
necessary to resort to many auto
cratic expedients In order TO bend
every, energy and every resource
toward the winning OF the wa. The
poWer then exercised as wal
measure became more or less Ia
miliar TO our citizens, and like 9TH
er vices familiarity with 1t caused
atarge number to embrace It as a
possible remedy for some OF our
iLiss
scan not believe that the con
gressf will pass this bill, though
some features Of It may DO innocu
GUS The labor board provisions
are peculiarly Of kind thatAwould
please no party to any OF these dis
pntes It is not desired by the min
ers nor by the operators. and when
the general public realizes that this
Is but an entering wedge for dras
tie government control OF all other
Industries regarded as essential
am convinced that the public will
mot want 1t. We found during the
war that many industries regard
led by us as non.esseptial were alb.
spiutely essential. so that tho de
cipration made in section of Sena
tpr kenyon's bill that coal is :
public necessity and in It's produc
tion and distribution the public in
terest Is predominant, as his first
fundamental principle. could just
as well be said OF the farming in
tdnstry or Of any ono Of many in
dhstries.
Opposes Federal Control.
we have all watched with much
interest the process Of federal con-
troll Of railroads, and it must now
he conceded even by the friends Of
goYernmental regulation, that there
is evidently something wrong witt
the system or else with the admin
istfation OF It, for our railroads are
certainly in bad shape though
charging the highest rates in the
history Of transportation. II tho
coal business is to be put upon the