The labor world., 1922-09-23
DAVIS |
RAP''S COAL. | men. q
Continued from page y.

CONTINUED from page. y, .....
ing. Hearings will; be continued long:
er if necessary. III .5g% II Z !:
The identical bill is to be intro
duced this afternoon by Senator w.
M. Miller of Muskingum county and
procedure there is expected TO be
practically the same as in the house.
The BILL, introduced as an emerg-
ency measure, provides as follows:
1-For the appointment by the
governor of state fuel administra-
tor to serve during pleasure of the
governor. No one shall be appointed
to this office who owns, operates, or
has financial interest in a coal mine
or who is coal dealer or interested
financially in such a business.
2-Fuel administrator shall have
authority to appoint such deputies.
experts, engineers, investigators and
clerical employees as shall be neces-
sary, such positions to be outside the
civil service. The fuel administra-
tor is authorized to fixe the pay of
such employees and is also authorized
to purchase such equipment, lin
cluding automobiles" as necessary.
3-Administrator is empowered to
demand any information necessary
from coal operators and dealers, un-
der oath and fine of $500 is provided
for refusal to give such informa ton.
4-The administrator is to inves-
tigate production and distribution
costs and on the basis Of such to fix,
with the approval of the governor,
the maximum price which produc-
ers and dealers may charge. Such
prices fixed may be modified from
time to time.
5-The administrator in fixing
prices may divide the mines of the
state into districts according to min
ing conditions and fix district prices.
6-Authorities is given for subpoe-
ming witnesses and requiring produc-
ton of books, papers and records re-
garded as necessary and failure to
appear or to produce such records is
made subject to fine or imprison-
ment, after such fact is certified to
the common pleas court of the coun-
ty.
7-Record Of all proceedings is to
be kept by the administrator as
public record.
8-After maximum price or prices
have been fixed, the administrator
is required to publish notice thereof
in two newspapers of general circu-
lations, giving the price or prices and
the effective date and such publica-
ton shall be all the notice necessary
to operators and dealers. Prices fixed
shall be in effect from the date set
until they are found be other than
reasonable by court action.
9-Operators or dealers are given
ten days after notice of fixed prices
in, which ask the administrator for
reconsidera ton, who shall conduct
a hearing and receive evidence. If
petitioners are dissatisfied with rul-
ing Of the administrator thereafter
they may within ten days file Pc
titiOn in error in the supreme court
but such action shall not stay the
operation Of the prices involved un=
less the court grants a stay of exc
cution.
10-ProduSers or dealers who sell
coal at price in excess of the price
fixed shall be subject to fine or i'm
prisonment or both. Neither the
am cunt of the fine nor the term of
imprisonme is specified in the bill
introduced.
1.-The bill specifically states that
its provision shall not apply to the
sale of coal in Ohio for interstate
or foreign commerce nor to. coal
shipped into Ohio from other states,
until it has ceased to be a commodity
in interstate commerce, nor to sales
under contracts in existence at the
time the act becomes effective.
12-1f adequate coal supply cannot
be obtained under prices fixed, the
administrator is to notify the COVER
nor who is thereby authorized to is
sue proclamation authorizing the ad-
ministrator to requisition all mines
or sufficient number of them to sup
ply necessary fuel. such proclama-
ton is to be effective five days after
publication unless showing is made
to the governor that sufficient coal
can be produced at the prices fixed.
13-Proper bond is required of the
administrator on taking over of
! mines. Producers whose mines are
taken over shall be compensated for
the use thereof and coal obtained,
this compensation to be fixed by the
utilities commission and paid from a
rotary fund. Recourse is provided
in the courts if such compensation is
not satisfactory.
14-Provision is made for rotary
fund, but the am cunt of this fund is
not specified in the bill drafted, this
to be fixed by the legislature. r
Both houses adjourned until 10
o'clock Tuesday after receiving the
bill.