The New York herald., 1922-09-16
Hoover to Communicate
With Interstate Com
merce Commission.
HOLDS COAL CONFERENCE
Meets Business Leaders, Who
Agree on Cooperation in
Spreading Supply of Ccs!.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c.. Sept. Is.
Plans for a possible pooling Of the
freight car equipment of the country
to meet acute transportation demands
in the movement of grain. fruit and
other foodstuffs were discussed at the
Cabinet meeting to-day. the first held
since the illness of Mrs. Harding be-
came acute.
The entire session was given to a
discussion of the transportation prob
lem and its relation to prosperity. The
President and his counselors agreed
that some extraordinary measure was
necessary to meet not only an expected
acute car shortage but possible con-
gestion resulting from inability of the
railroads freely to move loaded cars.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover has
been in close touch with the Interstate
Commerce Commission on the subject
and he will communicate to the COM
mission on the subject and tie will COM
OF the President and Of the Cabinet.
The commission has wide powers under
the transportation act 10 order the
pooling OF cars and equipment wherever
this becomes necessary in emergency.
Any steps taken will be coordinated
with coal prIorities and general SUPER
vision of coal movement under the in
creased powers given the commission
by the Commins- -Winslow coal profiteer-
ing bill, which has just passed Congress.
Coal Question Up.
The view of Administration leaders
that the matter OF coal supply has re-
solved itself into a question or trans
portation was supported by general
conference of business leaders called by
Secretary Hoover to gain cooperation
OF coal consumers In spreading the sup
ply and holding prices. This conference
was attended by Gerard Swope. Presi-
dent General Electric Company. New
York; IIarrp 7coulSad Plekaildss Mather
Company, Cleveland: II. =. Lamont
American Steel Foundrics, Chicago: A.
A. Landon. American Radiator Com
pany, Buffalo; Il. a. s, Clarke. Consolid-
ated Steel Export Company. New York;
A. J. Brosseau, International Motors
Company. New York; ]. r. Jackson, rep
resentng Public Utility Association
Washington: s. NJ. Vauclain, President
Baldwin Locomotive Company. Phla-
delphia: w. w. Atterbury. Vice Presi-
dent. II. G. Wright General Traffic
Manager. c. w. Shaeffer. Chief of
Transportation and Samuel Porcher,
General Purchasing Agent. Pennsylva-
MIA system. Philadelphia. and J. n. Sni-
der. coal traffic manager, New York
Central lines, New York.
A. c. Needles, vice president. and d.
=, Spangler superintendent of transpor-
tation, Norfolk and Western Railroad,
Roanoke, Va. J. A. Porterfield, general
superintendent transportation, Illinois
| Central Railroad, Chicago III. w. Miller,
vice president Southern Railway system,
Washington C.B. Kellogg. vice cc-president
Munson Steamship Lines, New York; j.
T.. Edgerton, president National Asso-
cation of Manufacturers. Nashville,
! Tenn. Nathan h. williams, associate
counsel National Association OF Manu-
/ facturers, Nashville Conrad j.. Spens
vice president Chicago. Burlington and
| Quincy Railroad, Chicago: Charles X.
Foster, vice president American Radia-
tor Company. Chicago; Il. Il. White,
| pi esident Il. jI. White Coal Company OF
| West Virginia Charles e. Backus. pres
idont Clinchfield Coal Company. New
York J. A. Campbell, president Youngs-
town Sheet and Tube Company, Youngs-
{, wn. Ohio; Daniel Willard. president
baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Baltimore
A. c.. Bedford. president Standard oil
Company: II. ii. Ashton, president and
! NJ. J. Gormlcy. chairman Car Service
| Division. American Railway Association
/ Washington: Clyde B. Aitchison. com.
| missioner. and John c. Roth, director
| OF service, Interstate Commerce Commits
| son. Washington; VI. Foster Balm, direc
| ton Bureau OF Mines. Washington Alex.
ander Legge, president international
! Harvester Company : Julius ". Barnes
president United States Chamber Com
merce G. r. Starr and w, ID. Broolxins
United States Chamber OF Commerce
Secretary OF Commerce Hoover and f.
| r. Wadlcigh. Department OF Commerce
wiz Facilitate Distribution.
These men were unit in the belief
that natural process OF increased sup
ply. provided distribution Is facilitated
WIFI DflnE uOWn pTlCtN dlh dSsuit SUI
| ncient coal for householders and indus
| try. They pledged aid 10 this end and
1 voted 20 organize voluntary campaigns
to induce manufacturers, utility corpo'
ratlons and buyers generally not to pur'
chage coal beyond their day TO day
needs until the flow OF coal becomes more
normal and to persuade holders OF Goa
| contracts not TO call for delivery beyond
I day To day needs. IL was considered
/ that half the coal In the country Il
under contract at normal prices and
relaxation in demand for this coal would
allow an Increase In supply TO the gen
| eral public. II was agreed also to ex
pedlte the movement of coal In every
way.
The question Of priorlties in Goa
movement was discussed at great
| length, IL being the consensus that more
mobility would be given TO movement
with less opportunity for speculation Il
| tho nrioritles to special uses. which wer,
| necessary before the reopenlng of tn,
union mines, should be relaxed and
priority parallel with agricultural prod
uce should be given 20 the movement
Of all coal without discrimination az Il
1 conslgnees II was also the opinion oil
the meeting that all reconsignment rights
upon coal should be abolished In order
10 prevent speculation.
II was decided 10 organize special
| committees under the leadership OF the
| United States Chamber of Commerce Ia
advance these purposes