The Washington herald., 1922-07-22
POOLING PLANNED
Three Departments Will
Cooperate in Mine
Situation. f
U. S. is PREPARED,
SAYS DAUGHERTY
Commerce Head Calls
Meeting of Producers
For Monday.

on throughout the nation ana the
average price Of coal at the mines
already has jumped rs cents a ton.
according to official figures
Faced with the certainty Of a se-
verec GOAL shortage this winter, m
dividual consumers as well as the
great utilities and industries are
swapping at every available ton Of
coal. Some railroads are bidding
as high as IS per ton at the mines.
To prevent an imminent break
down Of his price agreements IN the
face of "panicky' influences in the
Increasingly active bidders market.
Secretary Hoover yesterday an
nounced formulation OF plans for
cooperation OF the Department Of
Commerce. the Interstate Commor~e
Commission and the Department OF
Justice to control the price OF coal
and to effect it's distribution TO rhe
railways. public utilities. industries.
producing necessities and public
institutions.
Calls District Representatives
The Secretary announced that a
meeting Of the District representa-
tives from the producing districts
in Virginia, West Virginia. Tenncs-
see. Kentucky. Pennsylvania end
Alabama would be held here Mon
day at 10 o'clock to consider the
plans.
During the day legal measures by
Attorney General Daugherty for
protecting the coal mines and the
railroads were discussed with Sena-
tor Cummins. chairman Of the Sem
ate Interstate Commerce Committee
! fo- nearly two hours DauGh-rtN
said he and CumriiuS agreed the
government had as much aunt Urity
10 protect the mines as to guard
the mails or prevent intsrteI ence
with interstate comm erc-.
The Attorney Gencrsl would no..
however. say insl legal steps ale
Immediately in contemplation.
The government" he said. is
ready for everything that could
possibly happen. Many Of the things
for which We have prepared VIII
not happeH."
Previously Daugherty talkec
with Senator Borah, Idaho. re-
garding the rail situation in Mon
tana and Idaho.
senator king Offers BILL
Senator Lodge called on the
President and on Secretary o.
Commerce Hoover. with an ur=eH
plea for New England's coal needs
Late in the day Senator kinE
Utah. presented in the Senate ;
resolution authorizing the Presi-
dent to appoint a commission oi
! FIVE to summon both parties 10 the
coal strike to n conference. Ths-
. commission would have no author
ity beyond investigating and max
ing public its findings with recon-
mendations. The resolution wac
referred TO the labor committee.
A delegation Of mayors from i've
anthracite cities in Pennsylvania,
headed by John F. Durk!n. Scran-
ton. called on Senator Pepper. Dur
kin wished Pepper to urge Pres
dent Harding to arrange for an
extension of time for acceptance of
his arbitration plan. Pepper took
the entire delegation 10 the White
House
The plans for the coal s!tusiion
were outlined by Secretary Hoover,
as follows:
"First-Plans for making the VOL
untary restraint Of profiteerinc ef-
fective in the one OF two districts
which have refused TO cooperate
and are now demanding $3.50 ton
for coal at the mine and further to
make IL effective against the mi
nority Of irresponsible operators in
the other districts who have broken
away from the agreement.
Plan Involves Pooling..
''Second-To consider plans for
effecting a distribution Of coal to
the railways. public utilities. indus
nrndnrinO l.
institutions. etc.
plans have been formulated for
cooperation Of the Department Of
Commerce and the Interstate Com
merce Commission and the Depart
ment OF Justice by which, with the
cooperation of responsible opera
tors. the control of price 3nd dis
tribution can be effected. The plan
IL now before the Depa artmant Of
Justice and IL involves the pooling
of coal in each district and the dis
.ribution of coal under the author
ity and direction of the government.
with the cooperation O. Operators
committees"
The Hoover plans were consld-
cred in detail at the Cabinet meet
ing yesterday.
Samuel Gompers. president of tho
American Federation Of Labor. is
sued a statement calling upon the
government to force direct negotia-
tions between the operators and tn,
strikers in both the coal and raj
industries. His statement con-
tained many veiled raps at the ad-
ministration's strike policy.
Conference Is the thing that is
needed" said Mr.. Gompers. Let
there be less talking about force