The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-19
PRESIDENT HARDING DISCUSSES
 INDUSTRIAL ILLS

CS@Ae@ON~ yesterday brought out little information about the industrial situation in this coun- try that was not already known. Most of 1t had been published before in the newspapers. He denounced the Herrfn massacre and asked for legislation that would permit the federal government to punish such outrages in the future, and he called attention to the fact that the railroad labor board must be given authority by Congress to enforce it's de- cisions. If the board had had this power there would have been no railroad strike. It is well known, as the President stated, that both the railroads and the unions have dis obeyed the boards rulings and flouted it's au- thority, with the result that 1t lost whatever influence and dignity it might have possessed.
 No doubt prompted by the criticisms to which he has been subjected, MT. Harding said "the present administration sought early as last October conferences between the operators and miners in order to facilitate either new or extended agreement to avoid any suspen- sion of production when April 1 arrived" This is his answer to the charge repeatedly made that the administration took no steps to pre- vent coal strike and waited until the strike had begun to intervene.
 The President recounts his unavailing ef- forts to bring about peace between the oper- ators and miners and shows that both sides, in their endeavor to gain the advantage, made a settlement impossible. Dominant groups among the operators insisted on district agree ments and the mine workers leaders demand ed settlement national basis. One statement he made in this part of his address is important to the nation. He said, "The sim- pie but significant truth was revealed that, except for such coal as comes from the dis tricts worked by non-organized miners, the country is at the mercy of the United Mine Workers"
 MT. Harding also stated the causes which have led to the demoralization of the coal n- dustry, facts known to everybody who has studied the subject. There are more miners and more mines than are needed to produce enough coal to supply the nations wants. He asked Congress for authority to create coal commission to make searching investigation and suggest remedies to cure the evils in the coal operators who voluntarily agreed not to profiteer at the public's expense and lived up to that agreement.
 In regard to the rail strike the President L. the case of the miners strike, he held both the railroad executives and the unions to be at fault and pointed out the weakness of the railroad labor board, Intentionally deprived of the power to enforce it's decrees by Con- gress afraid of union labor.
 MT. Harding has no sympathy with strik- CTS who interfere with men who are trying to exercise their right to work when and where they please, and said so. He condemned the lawlessness among railroad strikers which their leaders have been unable unwilling to prevent. He served warning in this state ment :'It is not my thought to ask Congress to deal with these fundamental problems at this time No hasty action would contribute to the solution of the present critical situa- tion. There is existing law by which to settle the prevailing disputes. There are statutes forbidding conspiracy to hinder interstate commerce. There are laws to assure the highest possible safety in railway service It is my purpose to invoke these laws, civil and criminal, against all offenders alike."