The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-29
SEIZURE OF
UTILITIES
NOT LIKELY
Talk of Taking Over
Roads and Mines
Only Talk.
BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE.

(COpyrlGnt, 1SlL, Dy Inc AI6uS.)
Washington, D. c., August 29.-
Hope springs eternal in the gov
mind and just now that
hope is administration policy,
namely that the industrial situation
will somehow right itself yet with
out drastic action legislative or
otherwise.
No definite alternative has been
decided upon. Talk of seizure OF
mines and railroads is still talk.
Congress is quietly steering the
safe course of keeping hands off
while the chief executive and his
cabinet officers endeavor to use
their influence to bring about meet
ings, conferences, discussions and
all kinds of peace overtures. AS
for legislation until Mr.. Harding
demands it, congress will not take
the initiative.
In a nutshell, the whole govern
mental attitude is one Of waiting.
Every day brings some new reason
for waiting. Today it is the hope
in fact the optimistic hints that
the anthracite strike will be set
tied within a few days and that
when the people are assured ol
hard coal one source of apprehen.
sion will be removed. Until thai
hcpe is absolutely gone, there will
be nothing done about the anthra'
cite problem.
As for the soft coal situation, th'
government feels that enough 'fue
is assured as a result OF the Cleve
land treaty of peace to make gov
ernment interference annecessar!
provided the coal can be transport
ed. There the railroad shopmen''
strike enters the picture. Stories
of sabotage on the railroads ar
filtering in, One tale relates hov
t15,U06 tons 81 Coal was loaded on |
Kentucky road by non-union miner
and was ready for shipment as sool
as equipment could be obtained AM
the discovery was made that ever
| bit of hose between the cars ha
been cut.
Federal Policy.
Equipment for trains is deter
iorating according to the statistic
of the Interstate Commerce. Th
Federal government is not trying
however, to force a remedy. 1t
waiting for the railroads and shop
i men to get together or exhaus
their respective powers of enduI
ance. If the public finds it dan
i gerous to travel. this will be fae
tor in public opinion which the ad
ministration will recognize whe
the time comes but no hullabaloo
being made in sufficient volume I
cause the administration to use e.
treme tactics. Until matters g
acute, little will be done by the go,
, ernment. In other words the stu;
! ton must grow worse before
, can get better-that's the viewpoiI
here. Unless the country's opinio
, crystallizes into something col
: crete and demands it the executi1
t is inclined to let industrial natul
take its course. Ten or fiftee
: days must, elapse before the effec
of this policy can be measured, III
t less of course there's compr'
mise or concession by one or al
other of the disputants whie
makes a railroad peace possibl
Meanwhile it's a war to the finis
with the government an innocel
onlooker.
Seizure of coal carrying roads
indeed the extreme alternative, b.
only in the last twenty-fOur hou
has it become apparent how e
treme and unlikely it is to be.
I preparations are being made for.
- The promise Of the railroads tn
t they will be able to carry coal
n given adequate protection again
s violence are being taken at II
: value. Until the breakdown come
e the government will let the W
: go on.