The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-28
HARD|NG'S PLAN
EXPECTED SOON
Is Conferring on Strike Pol
icy With Advisers Dur
ing Short Cruise
CONGRESS DOING
LITTLE IN MATTER
Committee Conference Today Over Coal
Distribution Bills-Great Oppositiin
to Government Seizure of Mines and
RailrOads-Fear Political Effect.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S.-President
Hardings return today from his week
end cruise on the Mayflower, during
which he is understood to have conferred
with officials who accompanied him on
the strike situation, was expected in
some quarters to be followed by a defin-
tie announcement of the administrations
policy with respect to the proposal that
congress authorize the executive to take
over and operate rail and coal proper
ties. The exact scope of the govern
ment's policy in dealing with the strike
situation probably will be revealed in
any event within the next few days.
With the Borah bill for a act-fndng
coal commission laid aside in the senate
until the middle of the week, efforts at
the capitol to deal with the strike prob
lens were confined today to committee
meetings to consider the respective dis
tribution bills introduced by Chairman
Cummins and Chairman Winslow of the
house interstate commerce committee.
Great opposition has been aroused to
the legislative proposals emanating from
a White House conference Friday night
attended by President Harding, Attor-
ney General Daugherty, Senator Cum
MINIS, chairman of the senate committee
on interstate cOHlHleTCc, anu IleUIeSeHlil-
tive Winslow, chairman of the house
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce. These were, in effect. that
congress should vest the President with
discretionary authority to take over the
coal mines. if necessity demanded, and
such railroads as could not be run effec-
lively.
While the opposition expressed in con-
gresS to the proposal to give the Presi-
dent discretionary authority to deal with
the strike situations is based on funda-
mental objections TO taking over mines
and railroads to be operated by the gov
ernment during the emergency, there IS
on political expediency.
It is said to be the opinion of many
members of congress that they will be
placed in an uncomfortable position in
their campaigns for reelection if they
give the President authority to take such
steps as he sees fit and then vote for a
| congressional recess to enable them to
return TO their constituencies for a
| month or so. The point of the objec-
| tiOn is that their opponents will be prone
to criticize them on the ground that they
evaded responsibility by taking this step
and should have remained in Washing
ton rs long as the strike emergency
lasted In other words. congress should
be at hand to meet the emergency when
! action is demanded and not run away
! to leave the President to exercise the ex-
! traordinary discretion with which it is
proposed to vest one man.
| The plan of the leaders provides for
| recess until about Oct. 1, as soon as
| the pending bonus measure and bills to
| provide for an investigation of the coal
/ industry and the creation of a tempa'
| rary federal bureau to oversee the dis
| tribution of coal have been passed. II
/ is the expectation that these measures
! will have been passed by the end of this
| week or early in the week following. Ii
| the President. however, desires congress
| to give him the proposed discretionary
| authority to take over mines and rail
roads to be exercised if necessary. when
congress is in recess, there is likely e
| be strong opposition with the prospect
| Of prolonging the session.