The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-10-19
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1922

President Hardings selection of the
commission author lied by congress &c
investigate and report on the coal in
dustry is being favorsbly received by
the leading papers OF the country. The
personnel is considered representative
in character and OF unquestioned abil'
ity by most papers.
John Hays Hammond heads the COM
mission. With him as specialist is
George Otis Smith, director OF the
United States Geological Survey. Other
members are Thomas Il. Marshall for
mer vice president; Judge Altschuler,
noted lawyer; Clark Howell, Editor;
DR.. Edward Devine, social worker o.
wide reputation, and Chrles T. Neill
prominent railroad man.
In making the selection the President
respected the intention OF congress that
neither the operators nor the miners,
neither capital nor labor In the indus.
trial sense, should be represented on
the commission.
The commisson the New York World
thinks, might have included more ex-
perts and fewer persons OF imp ortance,
yet it is made up, II comedies, OF able
and intelligent men, some OF them with
sufficient technical training, and it
should do competent job.
"A committee composed entire ly OF
experts would, after all" the World
says, have run the danger OF begging
down in statistics for lack OF direction
and might have been unable TO present
its findings in disable form and MIR.
Harding has succeeded admirably in
eliminating all chance OF deadl ock
through industrial prejudice" The
World continues:
The commission faces tremendous
task. Ia the bituminous fields the price
OF coal Is kept up and the supply made
precarious by overdeYeIopment, part
time operation and employment, sea-
sonal marketing and prohteering In
times OF shortage. In the anthracite
region there Is Il practical monopoly,
with almost absolute control over out
put and prices. Both hard and soft
coal come TO the consumer through .
maze OF dealers and transportation com.
panies, all contributing TO The fina
cost, but few giving compensatory ser.
vice In return.
Having found The facts, Mr.. Hammond
and his associates will be expected u
produce remedy for conditions ad
mitedlY bad-and no ideal remedy, but
something that will work. 1t re-
mains 10 be seen not alone whether
this particular committee can do IL,
but also whether 1t can be done.
The Chicago News chsracterzes the
commission as a Trustworthy, capable
body
1.-THE commission" it remarks, "is
charged with the duty OF laying the
foundation for the solution OF ono Of
the most vital and important questions
now confronting the nation The de
gree OF effectiveness with which IL per.
forms It's work should serve as a fairly
accurate measure OF the possibility OF
the early solution OF that question. Ger.
tsinly the opportunity for public ser.
vice In helping 10 bring order out of
wasLeful chaos 10 an essential industry
should prove exceptionally inspiring 10
al a hA ~
mission"
In the opinion OF the New York Globe,
the Presidents appointments will be
satisfactory to every one who wants
the facts about coal set forth as dis
passionately as possible, Discussing the
coal situation, the Globe says:
1t is notorious that the coal digRings
OF the United States are overturned
and undermined, that there Is huge
waste at every step OF the process from
mine TO furnace, and that the industry
Is poorly organized, both seasonally and
geographically. Yet, AZ a public util-
ity coal stands on an even footing with
transportation and logically ought to
be subjected 10 as close regulation.
The recent strikes, and Others that
have preceded them have driven home
the lesson that private war In the coal
fields Is TOO costly TO be endured But
the problem cannot be solved merely
by regulating the relations between
capital and labor, important as those
are. IL the coal industry is TO function
properly In the interest Of all the PEG.
pie IL will have 10 be completely reor.
ganized and In this process some cover
mental intervention may be necessary
For this reason the work OF the present
commission Is profoundly significant.
Its findings should be, and perhaps will
be, the basis for legislation fully rs i'm
portant as that establishing the Inter.
state Commerce Commission.