The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-24
APPOINTMENT OF
 COAL TRIBUNAL IS
 ASKED OF HARDING
Head of National Coal Asso- citation Cites Reasons for Need of Advisory Body
 in Insuring Supply
R, Associated, Pres.

Indianapolis, July 2S.-President Harding was urged to appoint m mediately a non-p partisan fact-find- ing tribunal to inquire into the coal situation, in & telegram sent him tonight by A. NJ. Ogie, president of the National Coal association. The President announced the considars- ton of such commission last week.
 Such a tribunal, If appointed ifn- mediately. could develop within d comparatively short time such facts regarding the coal industry. says the telegram, as would strengthen your hand in carrying out your program to start the mines in accordance with your proclamation to the governe. $ of the several states involved"
 Technical Advisors
 Mfr. Ogle in the telegram also suggested tho appointment, of one miner and one operator as technical advisers, but neither to have vote or voice in the deliberations of the tribunal
 The telegram read
 ..In order that there may he no
 nisunderstnnding In The minds
 of the members of your admin
 Istrntion or in the minds of the
 public concerning the attitude of
 the operators who attend your
 Washington conference, toward
 the appointment of fact-find-
 ing tribunal by yOu, l respect-
 fully and strongly urge upon yOu
 the adyfsability of immediately
 selecting the men whom you de-
 sire 10 net so that the tribunal
 can proceed mt once to tnyesti-
 gate the questions nj issue be-
 tween the miners nnd the op-
 erators In the union fields. Az
 we have pointed out before, we
 strongly feel that this tribunal
 should he nOn-pnrttsnn, without
 either miners. or operators being
 included in its membership.
 Advisory Body
 '.If If is felt advisable by you to have technical advice for the benefit of the tribunal, I might suggest that one operator could be selected by the operators and one miner by the miners to sit with yoar tribunal in a purely advisory capacity. but with out voice or vote 1 feel. and l know that large majority. if not all of the union bituminous operators, fee that such tribunal selected by you If immediately appointed, could vii in a comparatively short time, out l4sts ndins and essential facts In re gard 10 the situation. With sucf facts before 1t, the tribunal woul' | be able to give Information to thu public and to you that woult strengthen your hand in carrying ou I your program to start the mines 1T l accordance with your proclamation l to the governors of the several statei 1 involved, on a basis of wages whici must inevitably mean liquidation ol l costs and prices to meet the de manls and requirements of the pub He and industry.
 We also have in mind that [ l thorough investigation of all thu 1 facts relating to the union bitumin 1 ous coal fields will be extremell helpful to the American public ant ] to the coal industry as well ant should lead to some constructive suggestions.
 You may be assured that in th' 1 meantime the operators of Indiana are earnestly working with Gov ernor McCray and the local author ities to determine the best and mos effective plan under which produc ! ton of coal can be resumed and l an 1 informed that the operators in al other states are working to the same l end. All operators In all districts union and non-union. unite in sup porting your determination to pro | tect every man in his inalienabl' right to work.'