The Washington times., 1922-10-23


mia. and Bradstreet will tell YOU.
from its list Of mill!onaires.' that
taking a recess Of forty.two years
wise move for him to make.
He has dug for gold. silver, dia.
monds. ores and minerals generally
in pretty nearly all parts Of the
earth's crust. and now he is dig.
ging facts about the coal industry
for the Government. He expects
II to be what Is technically known
among mining engineers az -
hell of a job" probably the most
difficult OF his career. a career
singularly replete with tough Jobs.
President Harding believes that
John Hays Hammond. II anyone.
can bring order Of the chaos Of the
coal industry, continually in a state
Of determination because Of strikes
and the inability Of the industry
so far to equalize production and
demand. His record has been one
big success after another. and his
work with Cecil Rhodes In South
Africa is probably the greatest
chapter in the history Of engineer.
ing.
Sentenced 70 Death.
He was one of four leaders In
the Transvaal reform movement.
in 1856, and after the historic
Jameson raid. with which he was
not in sympathy. he was sentenced
to death. After this sentence vas
cOmmuted to fifteen years i'm.
prisonment he procured his release
by payment Of a fine OF s125.000,
perhaps the largest fine ever paid
by an individual.
In latter years he has been as
ISOLATED with some Of the most i'm
portant financial groups In the
country, purchasing and promoting
valuable mining properties in the
United States and Mexico. He was
once urged to run for the vice
presidency of the United States hut
withdrew his name. With his al.
most equally famous son. John
Hays Hammond. Jr.. scientist and
inventor, nc shares column and
half in who's Who"
One of the most remarkable
careers of modern times has IetI
him, at sixty-seven. with the rug.
ged appearance OF a strong man
| ten years younger, ready to tackle
I
gray hairs TO both President Hard
ing and Secretary Hoover.
"The problem OF the coal indus
try" he said In an interview ex
clusively for Universal Service, "is
many sided and difficult. but think
we can do something with II. Some
of its phases are insoluble: others
I think, are capable Of solution"
|
Asked whether the problem OF
equalizing production and demand
was considered soluble-whethel el
means might be found to induce Goa
buying in the off season. with con
sequent equalization of work at the
mines. he said. II think 1t IL.
think a way can be found to work
thrt out"
When Mr.. Hammond gave ar
answer like that TO Cecil Rhodes
the great empire builder used to
consider the thing settled
I'VE shall have to 60 about this
matter slowly, and get ourselves
thoroughly ORGANIZED before we No.
gin even to tackle the problem. We
shall have to assemble every avail
able fact and take testimony from
every one in the industry who has
useful information bearing on the
situation. 1t is too early as yet
even to outline what may be accom-
plished, for we don't know. We are
going to find out"
Az to Government salaries. he
isn't complaining about his own
for. like Secretary Hoover. he will
probably have to pay 1t to an as
sistant. and his labors will involve
considerable financial sacrifice: but
he has strong views about them.
81 have often been accused OF
robbing the Government of en-
gineers for my business. and the
charge is true. I have taken men
out of Government service at $4,000
and. started them at twice. that
amotfnt. Corporation and other pri'
vate work pays engineers q" often
from three to, four times as much
as the Governrfient pays. Sometimes
very much more.
I'VE will have to wake up and
do business on broader scale.
Able and ambitious men cannot be
kept in Government service at the
low salaries now paid, and men
content to go on for life for poor
pay usually are not worth much
more"