The Washington times., 1922-08-25
COAL SITUATION
BRINGS DEMAND
FOR ]. s. ACTION
Congress Moved by National
Cry for Immediate Mining
of Coal
By J. BART CAMPBELL.
international News Service.

Stampeded into decisive action
by the rapidly increasing peril Of
fuel famine this fall and winter,
Congress was seriously considering
today the adoption of drastic meas
ures to keep the country supplied
with coal during the coming cold
months and to prevent a recurrence
of existing or impending coal short.
ages due to the anthracite and
bituminous strikes.
The grave danger of intense suf-
fering and sickness-even freezing
among the people of those States
where winter is most severe, dinned
into the ears of Senators ana Con
gressmen alike by a torrent of warn
ing kilograms, galvanized both Sen
ate and House INTO graphing with
a situation threatening to become
even worse than that of the terrible
winter of 1917-1S.
Gone was the thought of the Sen.
ate concentrating its attention upon
the soldiers bonus bill, while the
House did little or nothing until the
tariff measure is out of conference
and before IL again. Senate debate
turned from the bonus to the coal
crisis and to the railroad strike. Set
speeches by bonus opponents or pro-
ponents attracted little attention
while every utterance bearing on the
serious Industrial situation immedi-
ately provoked a turmoil of discus
sion.
Seizure Of the mines by the Presi-
dent unless the anthracite strike Is
soon settled. urged by Senator
Calder RepJ of New York, was be-
fore the Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee in the form of a joint
resolution offered by Senator Walsh
Dem) of Massachusetts, to empower
the President to take over all mines
whose products are shipped in inter
State commerce in order to open
them up and furnish coal to the peo-
pie. While the Walsh resolution was
aimed at all mines II was intended as
a weapon to be used by the President
| to deal particularly with the anthra-
| cite situation.
"A desperate situation confronts
| the country" Senator Calder said.
1--WE are but sixty days from the
usual period of frost and anthracite
coal must be secured and distributed
soon or else people will freeze 10
death this winter"
Borah Urges Action.
Senator Borah Rep) of Idaho,
chairman of the Senate Labor
Committee, suggested that 1t would
be most unfortunate" II the i'm
preston obtained that Congress
alone could rectify the situation,
and he said he hoped the COVER
nor Of every State threatened with
coal shortage would follow the
example of Governor Miller Of
New York, in calling a special ses-
sion OF the legislature to secure
immediate relief and to prevent a
fuel famine when cold weather sets
in in that State.
Borah planed to press for i'm
mediate action by the Senate to-
day on his bill providing for n
coal commission to be appointed
by the President to investigate the
whole coal industry with a view Of
naturalization" or Government
control of it and a Standardization
Of the living and working condi.
tons Of the miners. The Senate
Labor Committee. of which Borah
is chairman, voted to substitute
his bill for the Winslow measure
passed by the House. 1t struck
out Of the Winslow bill all after
the enacting clause and wrote
Borah's into 1t. II the Senate
passes the Winslow bill as thus
amended it will be necessary To
send it to conference in order that
the Senate and House may com.
pose their differences, but Repub.
lican leaders expressed the belief
that this can be quickly done.
May Extend Powers.
Chairman Cummins, of the Sen.
ate Interstate Commerce Committee,
was prepared to also push the bill
en- enlarge and extend the powers Of
the Interstate Commerce Commis.
sion ito issue orders for priorities,
embargoes and other suitable meas
ures for the equitable distribution
of coal' during the emergency which
the bill would declare existed be.
cause of the coal and railroad strikes.
The bill would create a Federal
fuel distribution agency, under a
Federal fuel distributor, to assist in
carrying out the orders of the In.
terstate Commerce Commission and
to ascertain the extent OF coal short
ages, profiteering and other evils