Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-08-25
he MAY ASK CONGRESS TO GIVE
1T MORE POWER AND MOVE
1T TO WASHINGTON.
WAITING FOR NEXT SESSION
Creation Of Similar Body 70 Handle
Questions of Wages in the Mining
Industry MSJ 30 Urged Upon the
Law Makers.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY


board has done so well that President
Harding intends to ask congress to en-
large its powers and to bring it from
Chicago and locate 1t along side the
interstate commerce commission here.
The President believes the board
should stand between the railroads and
their employees In much the same
way as the interstate commerce COM
mission stands between the railroads
and the shippers. Both organizations,
of course, are presumed to represent
the public while seeing that exact
justice is done between employers and
employees on the one hand and trans
portation companies and shippers on
the other hand
If the congress was not so far be-
hind with its work the President
would submit the recommendations
which he has In mind during the pres
ent session, but he realizes as well as
does the general public that the legis-
lators are not in any mood to take on
additional work at this time. And so
the recommendations relating to the
future of the labor board win prob
ably not be presented until the regu-
Jar session opens the first Monday In
December. 1t is highly important, In
the estimation of President Harding,
that the labor boa-d shall be brought
to Washington. The transportation
act located it In Chicago on the theory
that out there 1t would be freer to deal
with the problems submitted to 1t. But
the experiences Of the last two years
and half have convinced the author
files here that the board should be a
near neighbor Of the interstate COM
merce commission, since the two bodies
are dealing with problems that over
lap.
Mine Labor Board Suggested.
The administration is now looking
for way to apply the labor board
plan to the coal mining industry. 1t
is not unlikely that the decision will
be TO ask the congress to create per-
manent mine labor board. A constitu-
tional question Is involved. Some of
the members of the Presidents cabinet
believe 1t would be worth while to Gre
ate mine labor board with powers
similar to those conferred on the rail-
road labor board, and leave 1t to the
Supreme court to say whether the con-
gress has exceeded its authority. A
mine labor board, If created, would
be composed of three members consti-
tuting the labor group, three members
constituting the operators group, and
three members constituting the public
group.
Under the legislation that is receiv-
ing consideration. the mine operators
and the miners would, as duty to the
federal government, exert every rea-
sonable effort and adopt every reason
able means to avoid any interruption
In the operation of coal mines. The
legislation would provide as does the
transportation act that al disputes be-
tween operators aud miners shall be
considered end. # possible, decided in
conference between representatives
designated and authorized so to con-
fer.
The general public, which after all
IS always the renl sufferer In industri
al clashes, the representatives of the
nation and of the state who are deal
ing with the present strike situation
and even the employers and employees
WIN are directly engaged in the strike
appear to see more clearly than they
have ever seen before that way must
be found to prevent the recurrence
of strikes that affect great public util
tiles.
public Wants Industrial Peace.
President Harding and his adviser.
have made up their minds that the
public is a good deal more interested
In the establishment of permanent In
dustrial peace than in tariff legIsla
tion. subsidy legislation. bonus legis
iation or any of the other topics thai
have been holding the attention of the
congress for year and half. The
President has said to callers within
the last two or three days that he
realizes for the FIRST time in his pub
lie career the bitterness with which
these industrial quarrels are carried
on. For nearly month he has beer
between the fires of employers, EN-
ployees and publicists.
He has been criticized for not go
ing fast enough in dealing with ths
two strikes. and for being too aggres
sive. Influential representatives OF
the political party, Of which be 1.
the titular head have expressed great
dissatisfaction because he would not
make use Of federal troops unless 9
state called for them. Radical rep
resentatives OF labor haze said ant
are still saying that the administrator
Is serving the employer, Many Of the
empIoyers-ra railroad executives ant
mine operators-are extremely bitter
because the President. as they assert