Evening star., 1922-07-25
Firm Stand Taken
by MIR. Hoover to
Guard Public.
"ROBBERS" WILL BE
DENIED USE OF CARS
Ample Distribution and
Fair Prices Will Be
Assured, Is Belief.

| The governments emergency coal
j control program will begin to func-
| ton within forty-eight hours.
| Secretary Hoover in making this
announcement today said ratification
! of the emergency plan for distribution
| and restriction of unfair prices by the
! operators associations was expected
| within forty-eight hours, but II CO.
] operation was withheld in any district
! the government would proceed to ap-
point the necessary local committees.
The emergency coal control plan.
| Mr. Hoover stated. Is intended to ap-
ply to all coal produced. whether in
! the snon-union or union fields, and it
was indicated that service orders by
! the Interstate Commerce Commission
providing for priorities in the alloca-
! ton of coal cars may be expected al
most Immediately.
| All Means Exhausted.
! As regards the coal strike itself
! Mr.. Hoover declared the government
| had exhausted every means toward
settlement. that 1t had offered ar
|
and the matter to be taken care of
now was the distribution of coal as
produced.
The Commerce Secretary emphasized
! the intention of the government to
! prevent advancing coal prices. and
declared that under the emergency
program no freight cars would be
allocated to those who tried ito rob
| the public" Sharp advances in prices
have been reported to the Commerce
Department from some localities, he
said. reaching as high as $3.50 a ton
| in western Kentucky.
Selection of the personnel OF the
central committee of government ON
cials to supervise the operation OF
the emergency plan was expected TO
today by Secretary Hoover and an
nouncement of its makeup to. be
made shortly.
New Legislation Likely.
Possible enactment of new legisla-
ton in connection with the govern
ment's emergency coal controt pro-
gram was indicated by Mr.. Hoover
He declared that no, legislation was
necessary to institute the plan, but
intimated that should its operation
be required for any considerable
length of time legislation might be
necessary to defray the expenses OF
the organization.
The personnel of the central COM
mittee, it was believed at the Com.
merce Department, would consist OF
the government officials VINO nave
been active in the drafting of the
chairman: B. Esterline of the Depart
ment of Justice, Director George Otis
Smith of the geological survey. Inter
state Commerce Commissioner Aitchi-
san and F. R. Wadleigh of the Com
merce DEPARTMENTS coal division.
bo Iptarstata COmmerCp Commission
was understood today to be prepared
to issue the declaration Of emergency
under which Secretary Hoovers dis
tribution plan will be put in operation.
service division of the commission.
headed by Commissioner Aitchison, will
be able to direct the movement OF cars,
declare embargoes to prevent the ship
ment Of coal except to the consignees
whose needs it is considered necessary
in the public interest to supply first.
and to require railroad nanagements to
take any other steps which are deemed
necessary to the control OF the coal
supply.
Fact-FindinE Body.
Proposals for a federal fact-finding
body to investigate the coal indus
try have been frequent since the be-
ginning of trouble in the local fields
Such a step has been favored by or
ganizations of mine operators in the
bituminous and anthracite sections of
the industry and emphasized as de-
sirable by the miners union leaders
l. President Harding has proposed to
give the commission, which he has
suggested should be created to arbi-
trate wage difficulties and other is
sues in controversy between the en-
ployers and miners. additional power
to make general survey OF coal
production, establishing labor costs.
transportation costs and analyzing
distribution methods.
The chief contention OF omciafs OF
the United Mine Workers In refusing
to accept the arbitration proposal Of
facts had been assembled about the
industry, it's profits and its possible
progress in efficiency to allow them to
accept the conclusions of a simple ar.
filtration board in the matter Of
wages.
Might Call Strike on.
Miners representatives are begin
ming to hold that the President f,Is mieat a,t
should he offer the men the previous
wage scale temporarily and create
such a fact-finding body to make its
Investigation Of the industry and lay
report before him and before the
union and employers.
wage negotiations could then be
taken up directly between the union
leaders and the employers. without
further government Intervention. and
a final contract made The method. 1t
was pointed out, though not by un son
spokesmen, would result in maintain
ing the wartime wage scale for at
least another year.
Government officials. however. have
said that there would be no further
negotiations opened up between the
administration and the United Mine
Workers until the union itself asked
for them.