Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-25
WANT
j. s. ACTION IN
END|NCSTR|kES
Country Will Suffer IF.
Government Does Not
Move, Solons Declare.
Control of Coal Mines
Proposed by Massa-
chusetts Legislator.

Washington, Aug. 24-(By the As
sociated Press.) - Government opera
ton of the coal mines and federal con-
troll of coal distribution in such a man
ner as to prevent profiteering, were
proposed in measures introduced
Thursday in the senate. Other devel-
opments in the coal and rail situa-
tions included:
Decision by the senate labor COM
mittee to substitute the Borah coal
commission bill for the Winslow com
mission bill, passed Wednesday by the
house.
Demands in the senate for prompt
and drastic government action to end
both coal and rail strikes.
Announcement by Secretary Hoover
that within q week daily bituminous
coal production would be sufficient for
the nations needs but that the country
faced shortage Of freight cars which
would be acute within month.
A suggestion by Chairman Borah of
the senate labor commission that the
authorities of other states follow the
lead of Governor Miller of New York,
in dealing with their local coal situa-
tions.
n QeClaTdllOn pV 10dlTIHhu tuHliIllIlS
l of the senate interstate commerce COM
mission that charges at its next ses-
sion would take up industrial problems
with a view to determining what
place unionism should occupy in the
civilization of the United States"
Proposes U. S. Control
A resolution empowering the presi-
dent TO take over the operate the
mines was introduced by Senator
Walsh democrat, Massachusetts, after
a long and heated senate debate and
was referred to the interstate COM
merce committee To this committee
was sent an administration bill offered
by Senator Cummins proposing to
create federal coal distribution
agency which. working through the in
terstate commerce commission, would
control not only distribution of. but
profiteering in coal Chairman Cum
minis called meeting of his commit
tee for Saturday to consider the ad
ministration measure.
The senate is expected to act first
on the Borah substitute for the Wins
low bill which Senator Borah plans TO
call up Friday. 1t proposes a COM
mission of five members to investigate
the whole coal industry and make
recommends to congress.
Secretary Hoover regarded the an
thracite situation as acute. He advised
anthracite users to be prepared to burn
substitutes next winter. assuring that
provision probably would be made for
the priority movement of such substi-
tutes to householders over industries.
Senate discussion, the first extended
debate on either the coal or rail
strikes, brought expressions from prac-
tical all senators participating that in
their judgment there was bound to be
actual hardships and suffering from
lack of coal this winter, even should
the strikes be settled at once.
New York Desperate"
Senator Calder. republican, New
York. opening discussion. declared
that New York City faced a ''des-
perate" situation. He urged that
operators and miners be given As
hours in which to adjust their diff
ferences and that if they failed, 1T
will be the duty of this congress to
give the president full and complete
authority to take over the mines and
operate them for the benefit of the
American people.
Senator Lenroot, republican, Wis
consin. declared that the situation
with respect to both the coal and rail
controversies was so bad that the
public interest now justified more
than mediation"
The president ought to be author
lied to take over both the railways
and the mines and his discretion to
operate them," he said.
Complaining about what he charac-
terized as inaction of both the presi
dent and congress, Senator Walsh.
democrat. Massachusetts, declared
that much of the unrest in the coun-
try was due Ito the fact that here we
dilly daily: here we object: here we
filbuster; here we never take action"
Vigorously defending the president.
Senator Cummins declared that the
executive had done everything in his
power to bring about settlement and
to relieve the people. He said he
never had known a man who had
labored $50 constantly and assidu
ously. day and night, mind and heart.
to compose differences between war
ring industrial factions. He added
that responsibility for the failure to
end the strikes rested neither with the
president nor congress, but that blame
attached to both parties TO the con-
troversies.
President Is Defended
Both Senators Cummins and Borah
asserted that the president had no
power TO compel an agreement. Mr..
Borah also held that congress had no
power under the constitution to enact
legislation compelling a settlement.
Senator Nelson. republican, Mime
sofa. expressed the opinion that the
whole trouble" was ''unionism."
Senator Cummins declared it ought
to be a crime for employees to strike
when the government undertook to
adjudge for them justice of dispute.
He added that in his opinion this was