The New York herald., 1922-08-27
President Believes An
thracite Sc ttlemeBt
VIII Be BroH sht
About soon
L-A-.A4 VIII ROADS
Doubts He Has Legal Right
Now to Take Over the
Railways.
STRIKE Bills HELD Up
Indefinitely Postponed Despite
Speeches About Grave Crisis
Existing.
Bills HELD Up
pecioI Dispatch "a THE KEW YosK HEHatD.
Ns,x .orl. rgerrld Hureau }

Special Dispatch 10 IfIT NFW OK HERALD
New York tIernld Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Aug. 20.
President Harding contemplates no
immediate seizure of the anthracite
mines or Of the railroads. Such action
Is not regarded as warranted by Ad-
ministration leaders at this time.
Looking to the future and the inn
minent possibility of more acute
crisis in coal production and in rail-
road transportation, the President and
Congressional leaders have discussed
the steps necessary to meet conditions
which may arise. IT was long since
agreed that coal mines and railroads
would be taken over as a last resort.
but only rs last resort. President
Harding has not yet asked Congress
for legislation authorizing him to take
over or assume direction of any pri-
vate properties.
Conferences held at the Wn' House
yesterday and to-day be EN- tr@
President and Congressior leaders
led to the assumption in klaf-
ters and to a published stat zen thaf
the anthracite mines and g 1r ral'-
roads would be seized Mond
II was autruritativeiy stat Thr
New YORK IiErAEp tonight agrst
! pants In some Of the confe, hat
\ the President IS not at all aa e
seize tho railroads, His re she
that the railroads are operatl ~ ihpash
they may not be operatingfa! saaei~tiy
as should be the case.
No Legal Right for Ar4t0n.
He win let them 20 ahead as long a.
there Is M definite breakdown OF the
| transportation system which would
threaten the safety OF the people and
their economic welfare. The President
feels. 1t was declared by a Senator who
conferred with him. that he has not now
any moral or legal right 10 seize the
railroads even If he were 50 disposed.
In the coal niue situation the Presi-
dent will ask for authority tu take over
such mines as are necessary unless
something IS done hy tho parties TO the
existing coal dispute. This means or
course the anthracite mines. Situminous
production Is rapidly Increasing, but ths
production viii not alleviate the suffer
ing of householders unless anthracite is
produced
President Harding and his advisers
are stlll hopeful Of settlement Of the
anthracite controversy. Secretary or
Labor Davis has gone to Philadelphia
and il Is expected that further con-
ference between operators and the
United Mine Workers next week viii bs
4 brought about President Harding Is
4 disposed to await the results Of such a
I conference before taking Or site action.
u In ha nrfr
4 ing the situation by Congress are at
standstili 10 action was taken by
either house To-Day on the half score
or more of pending bills and resolutions
senate Goes Back 10 Bonus.
For three days one Senator after an
other has declared that the nation vas
/ face 70 face with q grave crisis and that
the life and hea!.h Of the people were
threatened ln spite Of this the Senate
I dropped consideration Of strike iegisla1
tion to-day to take IN the bonus bill
I The bonus bin viii be the order az
business until passed Senator Borah
Gdaho) declared that Senator Me-
Cumber ~. D.) had the right Or way
with his bonus bin and that he tBorah)
consequently could not object This
means tha' strike legislation II inden-
| nitely postponed. though every Senator
who hes spoken IN the three day debate
said Il was imperative 10 do something
70 save the people
The Senate debated tho Rorah bill FOR
coal fact finding commission for four
hours before taking IN the bonus. This
measure provides only FOR the meeting
of future rondi.ion7.
The Senate Interstate Commercs
Commission met this morning % take
W the Cummins hin 70 enlarge tho
powers Of the Interstate Commerce COM
mission and ~ give an official status -
the Coal Distribution Commission. 20
that they might act effectively Ia com
cert 10 check profiteeriug. Action was
postponed uutli Monday because ohjec-
tions IN the measure were raj sed and
some Senators insisted uDou hearings
first FOR the coal operators and .hen FOR
both sides Senator Cummlns (fowal. 4
chairman, said that he thought hearings
would 10 necessary and this will delay
action Ind finitey.
winsiow Introduces mn.
Representative Winslow Mass. chair
man " tho House Committee on fnter-
state and Foreign Commerce. introduced
IN .he House to-day 4 bil closely parai.
Iolinx the Cum1ins blll for cnlarg meut
of the Interstate Commerce Commission
powers and for legal status FOR the
fuel distribution organization. The
House already has passed the bill pro.
vidlrg Cor coal fact finding agency
Representative Brennan lMlch) intro
duced bin providing for lightless nights
and fuel conservation on the wartime
basis
Representative Dickson introduced
measure providing coal commiStpu 90