The New York herald., 1922-04-15
HARDING SEEKS PLAN
TO STABILIZE COAL
Working Out Scheme, o.
Herald Lines, to Prevent
Recurrence Of Trouble.
FOREsEES END OF STRIKE
Ready to Intervene. but Only
if Public Interest Is Seri-
ously Menaccd.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW yoRK HEsALp.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c.. April II.
President Harding is not alarmed
over the coal strike and has no present
intention OF interfering.
Much more important than the i'm
mediate difficulties. in the opinion OF
the President, is the working out Of
some constructive plan to stabilize the
coal industry and minimize the chances
of recurrence of such troubles in ths
future. Under his direction severai
agencies OF the Government are at wof
on such plan. and the President made
1t known after to-day's Cabinet meet
ing that he expects to have some sug-
gestions soon.
Secretary Hoover and Attorney-Gen-
eral Daugherty are assisting the Pres-
dent in formulating these suggestions.
Mr.. Hoover is making a study of the
economic side of the industry and Mr..
Daugherty is devoting himself to The
legal phases
The President believes there are GER
tain basic conditions in the coal indus
try which must be changed. because
they are at the bottom of the present
strike, and unless they are remedied
the country always will be under the
threat of coal shortage.
The Presidents attitude. as made
known to-day. is in line with the suc-
gestions made editorially by THE NEW
YORK HERALD. which said on April q:
The present coal strike serves 10
project into the foreground for
thought and discussion Americas
great coal problem. second only to
Americas vast unsolved railroad
problem.
Coal is a basic necessity. Without
coal, or coal oil, for heating, for
lighting, for industries, for trans
portation. social disorganization.
decay and death itself would follow.
So we. must have coal, and the
country is rich in coal. We have
something like ten thousand operable
coal mines, and there are countless
thousands Of coal deposits through
out the country not yet uncovered.
The question is not one of shortage
of this great resource, but rather one
of marketing it. The present dead
lock of operators and miners is due
in large part to the nature of coal
operating. to natural conditions.
The Presidents attention has been
called to the suggestion that there
should be a consolidation of the coal
mines into few groups. under private
ownership and Government regulation.
each group TO contain a proportionate
number of fat and lean mines. so as to
equalize production costs. insure fair
profit to the owners, satisfactory wage
to the miners, and an adequate supply
of coal to the public and the industrial
world.
Mr. Harding indicated this afternoon
that he would not be averse to taking
a hand directly in the strike situation
If the public interest should be seriously
menaced. But as there Is still an ade-
quatc supply of coal for immediate
needs, and the price has not gone ur.
he does not think such q condition
exists.
After talking with Mr.. Daugherty the
President formed the opinion that way
would be found soon by the miners and
operators to bring the strike to an end
within short time-perhaps by the end
of this month,