The Washington herald., 1922-10-20
Coal Crisis Leads to Important
Action by Federal Government
Report Shows Value of Early Organization to
Meet Public Needs.

IudHg IN
advance of stock coal prices.
6. In the latter part of July the
Alabama operators refused 10 con-
tinue the price agreement. Individ-
ual operators in some other agree
ment districts also hegan TO disre-
gard their undertaking. The ma
tional coal stocks OF April / were
running low and many public utili-
etis and railways were at the point
OF exhaustion in coal. Prices again
advanced sharply. The railway
strike had intervened and reduced
the production of nonunion coal
by 40 per cent (from $4,000 tons
to 3.500.000 tons a week.. and the
supplies available east OF the Missis-
sippi were only sufficient to main
tain public institutions. railways
and utilities.
President Names Committee.
Z. On Juy 26. in order fully to CO.
ordinate the services of the Federal
government to meet the tightening
situation, the President appointed a
committee comprising the Secretary
of Commerce as chairman. the Sec
retary of the Interior. the Attorney
General. Commissioner Clyde B.
Aitchison. of the Interstate Com
merce Commission. and II. L. Spen-
GER. voluntary fuel distributor.
S. On July 25 rhe Interstate Com
merce Commission issued a priority
In transportation in favor Of public
Institutions. railways and public
utilities and vital industries. 1t was
certain that II the strike continued
these essential services must have
~ H.
3. On July &c Secretary Hoover re-
quested the governors OF the vari-
Gus States to appoint state coal ad-
ministrators. who should cooperate
with the Federal government in
holding down speculation and undue
handling charges in coal and to as
sist in the distribution Of coal to cs
sential institutions.
Organizes Lake Shipments.
On July IS Secretary Hoover set
up an organization OF lake shippers
and of State administrators in the
Northwest States with headquarters
at Minneapolis and Cleveland. to or
ganize for shipments across the
lakes in provision for the winter
This organization is functioning
smoothly and the maximum tonnage
that the shipping docks can handle
has moved across the lakes.
IL. On August 10 the governors of
certain coal-producing States (Ken-
lucky. Virginia, West Virginia and
Tennessee) decided that coal prices
should be raised to $3.50 from the
average of about s3.25 set by Sec
retary Hoover. IL being hoped by
the governors that all operators
could thus be brought to cooperate.
More operators were brought back
in line and prices again receded
somewhat.
L. On August Is the strike was
settled in the union mines, and con-
sequently the, voluntary price re-
striction in non-union fields came
TO an end. Approximately so per
cent Of the nonunion operators
showed fine public spirit. holding
through to the expiration Of the
agreement. Prices again started to
advance when the agreement ex-
pired. some mines charging from 81
to $40 per ton, the maximum aver
age for a few days being about 1856.
Asks for Legislation.
l3. On August is the President
addressed Congress. asking for leg
islation to enable the Federal gov
ernmcnt to cooperate in a more
more practical ad effective way with
the States to control the distribu-
tion and prices. This prospect Of re-
lief created an effective bufing
strike and prices again receded.
IL. On September II Secretary
Hoover called a conference in Phila-
delphia OF anthracite operators and
State coal administrators of neigh
boring States and initiated organ
ization for the control of prices and
distribution of anthracite coal pro-
duction of which was then about TO
be resumed. These arrangements
were completed on September %.
and prices are being restrained by
agreement to pre-strike levels.
Is. On September II. production
having Increased to over 100000
tons per week. the Interstate COM
merce Commission priorities were
amended to remove the priorities
on coal to the special Industries and
all coal was placed In priority OF
transportation. together with agri-
cultural produce. A campaign was
undertaken to secure still! further
railway movement as the production
capacity OF the mines was far above
railway capacity and the volume
then being transported only equal
ed current consumption. furnishing
nothing for reserves.
IS. On September % coal legis-
lation became q law giving the In