New-York tribune., 1922-08-11

Coal Operators
To Get N(, Cars
1. c. c. to Use Priority Club;
Hoover Accuses Alabama
Producers and Calls on
Governor to Curb Them
Rail Service Improves
Warriscr Sees Harding and
Begs Help to End Tie-Up
i'm Anthracite Districts


WASHINGTON, Aug. 1o.-Use Of
the emergency powers Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission to bring into
line coal operators who are failing to
cooperate with the Federal fuel or
gani1ation in the control of prices was
under consideration to-day by the
Central Coal Committee
The governments defense against
price advances above the maximum
charges agreed upon by producing op-
orators with Secretary Hoover was de-
clared to rie in the powers Of the In
terstata Commerce Commission to al
locate coal cars so that mines boosting
prices would be without transportation
facilities.
Department OF Justice officials con-
nected with the Federal fuel organiza-
tion were said to. have advised the
committee that the commission had
ample authority under the law so to
distribute cars to the mines as efcc-
lively to control their charges.
Question Is How Far to Go
The question to be determined, it
was understood. was whether the COM
mission would exercise these emer ergeffcy
powers to their full extent. Discus
sion of such q step was said to have
been begun with the general committee.
Attorney General Daugherty has ruled
that priority orders for coal issued by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
take precedence over other orders
which operators may have on their
books
Alabama operators, Mr.. Hoover an
nounced, have broken away from the
fair-price agreements made with him.
and, he added, Governor Kilby Of Ala
bama will be asked to take steps to
protect consumers in that state against
rising prices.
Operators in other districts are
showing signs Of slipping from their
stand with the fair price program, it
was said by the committee.
Mr.. Hoover said that in SOME states
organization against profteering was
going forward vigorously, but in other
as desired The New England states,
New York and Massachusetts,, he as
serted, were taking care of the whole
problem of emergency fuel distribution
vigorously.
haii service Aupf0FlnS
Railroad service out of the producing
coal fields, he declared, was steadily
improving and car supply had improved
consistently during the last two weeks
as q result Of the priority system es-
taDlished by the Federal organization.
A plea for assistance in getting the
anthracite coal producing regions back
TO production was made by $. .. War
riner and w. j. Richards, representing
the general policy committee Of al
anthracite operators. They were pre-
sented to President Harding by Sena-
tor Pepper, OF Pennsylvania. Secretary
Hoover and Chairman Lasker Of the
Shipping Board were in the Executive
Offices during the presentation.
anthracite operators, told the Presi-
dent that the resumption of work in
the anthracite region was being pre-
vented solely because the miners
union and the bitu1ninous coal opera
tors had been unable TO agree on wage
scales. He further said that the pop
ulation of the entire anthracite coun-
try was now wearying OF having its
industry so restricted, and that it
probably would welcome any move
that could be made to separate the
issues Of the anthracite wage contro-
yersy from that of the bituminous.
While they did not ask the Presi
dent, Senator Pepper said. to appoint
the anthracite committee Immediately,
the opinion of the anthracite repre-
sentatives was said to be that its
establishment at a very early moment
might help to bring about conclusion
OF the work SUSPENSION.