The Colorado statesman., 1922-08-19
HOOVER DECLARES THE SUPPLY
WILL BE AMPLE IF MINERS
RETURN SOON.
PRICE TROUBLES PASS
WITH RESUMPTION OF WORK
PRICE SITUATION WILL BE
QUICKLY OVER.

Washington.-Early resumption of
coal production in the union fields
covered by the Cleveland agreement is
looked to by administration officials
to avert fuel troubles next winter.
If the miners in those fields return
to work soon, Secretary Hoover de-
clared there should be no serious
shortage of coal next winter, although
there may be some minor inconyen-
fences. Production of approximately
100000 tons of coal weekly, made
up of about four-fffths bituminous and
one-fifth anthracite, will be needed,
according to Federal Fuel Distributor
Spencer.
Even with adequate production, Mr.
Hoover asserted, action by Congress
will be necessary to enable federal
price control temporarily and to ia
cilitate distribution of anthracite and
to supply needs of the Northwest.
with the resumption of mining"
he said, "the price situation will be
quickly over. While there will be
some control Of distribution and
prices necessary temporarily the mat
ter will quickly adjust itself"
Collapse of the fair price agree
ments made with producing operators,
however, when the union mines re-
sumo production was indicated by
Mr.. Hoover. There would be then
seventy-five or eighty districts, he ex-
planned, to hold into line as to prices
by voluntary means which would be
an "infeasible machine"
Nevertheless, Mr.. Hoover declared,
the results of the fair price agree
ments thus far have constituted ''re-
markable showing" with 20 per cent
of the coal now moving being handled
under the established maximums of
S2.20 to $2.75 a ton. Difficulties in
the price situation, he asserted, arose
from the other 80 per cent. which
gave rise to the charges of profiteer-
ing while operators observing the
agreements were passing up from So
to $40 on every ton sold.
Emergency price control legislation,
which it is understood, President
Harding will suggest to Congress,
would apply only to coal moving in
interstate commerce, in the opinion Of
the secretary.
State authorities, he believed, would
have the power to regulate coal prices
during the emergency, especially If
the federal government, acting ma
tionally, gave the states the frame
work to build on. He advanced the
opinion that the federal government
could control prices charged by oper-
ators for coal in interstate commerce
and could deliver coal over the state
line at fair prices" after which the
price problem would be one for the
states.
Optimism prevailed among leaders
of the miners and operators directly
interested in the anthracite coal stu
alton following the first session of the
Joint conference, which is expected to
result in settlement of the strike
and send $4,000 men, idle since April
/, back to work. The operators have
announced they could return at the
old wage scale.
The meeting was said to have been
marked by the friendliest of feeling.
1t was chiefly taken up by prelimi-
nary discussion.
Both Mr.. Warriner and Mr. Lewis
appeared enthusiastic over the pros
pect of peace. Neither, however,
would say what their intentions were,
but indicated they were anxious to
get together their respective sides
so as to be able to go into conference
with a definite program.