Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-27
j. s. TAKES CHARGE
Of COAL MOVEMENT
IN 'EMERGENCY'
Secretary Warns He viii Not
Tolerate PROTECTING.
Senator Borah Urges Probe
of Industry by Commission

terstate commerce commission today
declared that an emerg ency existed
in transportation territory east of
the Mississippi which required it to
direct routing of shipments of all
essential commodities g. to fix pref
erence and priority for the move. (
ment of food, perishable Products
coal and other fuel, and live stock.
The immediate policy of the gov
e. Ament in the coal strike situation
was declared at the White House
today to be a continuation of its
endeavors to furnish protection to
men willing to work in the mines
and to put into motion the machine
cry decided upon for the distribution
of the dwindling coal supply.
The statement was made THAI
should coal not be produced in ap.
preciable quantities under this pro. Y
lection and in accordance with the
presidents invitation to the oper
ators to open the. mines some other
steps might be taken but that Presi-
dent Harding was unwilling to con-
slider at this time what they might
be.
Secretary Hoover, in making this
announcement today, said ratifca-
ton of the emergency plan for dis.
tribution and restriction of unfair
| prices by the operators association
was expected within that time, but
If cooperation was withheld in any
district the government would. pro-
coed to appoint the necessary local
committees.
The emergency coal control plan,
Mr.. Hoover stated, is intended to ap.
ply to all coal produced whether in
the non-union or union fields and 1t
was indicated that service orders
by the interstate commerce commits.
| sion providing for priorities In the
ALLEGATION of coal cars may be ex-
pected almost Immediately.
AS regards the coal strike itself,
| Mr.. Hoover declared the govern
ment had exhausted every means to-
ward settlement, that it had offer.
ed arbitration which had been re-
| Jected, ond the matter to be taken
care of now was the distribution of
| coal as produced
The commerce secretary enpha-
sized the intention of the govern.
ment to prevent advancing coal
prices and declared that under the
emergency plan 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 lo-
calities, he said, reaching as high as
$3.50 a ton in western Kentucky.
Declared Legal
AS announced by Secretary Hoov-
er in its tentative form last night,
the plan which was declared legal
by Attorney General Daugherty is
designed to insure fuel distribution
to railroads. public utilities and other
necessary consumers. and the main
tenance Of fair prices through pref
erential ALLEGATION of freight cars.
The emergency powers Of the inter-
state commerce commission in the
regulation Of interstate commerce
form the main springs of the entire
plan.
In addition to the presidential
committee here, composed of rep
resentative Of the commerce, justice
and interior departments and the in
terstate commerce commission, to
cooperate in carrying out the pref.
erential orders of the commission,
the plan also provides for an adj
ministrative committee comprising
representatives of the former com
mittee, and Of the operators and
railroads, and, where necessary, rep
resentatives Of the larger consuming
groups. The presidential COMMITTEES
would establish a representative in
each district to cooperate with the
operators committee in giving effect
to the plan.
Sharp advances in prices have
been reported to the commerce de-
partment from some localities, he
said, reaching as high as $3.50 a
ton in western Kentucky.
Selection of the personnel In the
central committee Of government Of
HciaIs to supervise the operation of
the emergency plan was expected to
be discussed with President Har.
ding today by Secretary Hoover and
announcements of it's makeup to be
made shortly.
Possible enactment Of new 1egis.
lation in connection with the gov
ernment's emergency 'coal control
program was indicated by Mr.. Hoo
yer, who declared that no legisla-
ton was necessary to institute the
plan, but iutimated that should its
operation be required for any con-
siderable length of time legislation
nigh be necessary to defray the
expenses Of tho organization.
The interstate commerce commits
sion was understood today to be pre-
pared to issue the declaration OF
emergency under which Secretary
Hoover's distribution plan will b5
put in operation. Under this emef.
gency order the car service division
of the commission, headed by Com
missioner Aitchison, will be able to
direct the movement of cars, declare
embargoes to prevent the shipments
Of coal except to the consignees
whose needs it Is considered neces-
sary in the public interest to supply
first and to require railroad man.
agements to take any other steps
which are deemed necessary to the
control of the coal supply.
Creation of federal coal commits
sion OF three members appointed by
the president to investigate the coal
industry and recommend legislation
to ngress was proposed in a reso-
luton introduced today by Chair
man Borah, of the senate labor COM
mittee.
recommendations would be re-
quired from the commission "on
the advisability or necessity of ma
tionalizing the coal industry" and
"the feasibility or necessity of gov.
ernmental regulation and control of
the Goa industry
Standardize Conditions
other points on which recommen-
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