The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-07-27

Coal Board
Four Men Named on Commits.
sion to Carry Out Ration.
ing Plan Proposed
" by Hoover.
Asks Rail Men to Return

developments came thick and last IN
the strike situation. emphasizing the
gravity with which the administration
now views the industrial crisis.
The high points OF the day in
Washington were:
President Harding in message to
]. Clcavc Dean. chairman oi the
Railway Employees Publicity asso-
citation of Chattanooga, Tenn, sug-
gcstcd that the rail strikers accept
the decision of the railway labor
board and return TO work pending
"a rchearing on any question con-
ccrning which there is reasonable
doubt about the correctness or the
justice OF the decision made"
Secretary Of War Weeks was
authority for a statement that such
states as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio,
with large bituminous deposits.
would be expected to mine their own
coal and would not be permitted,
under Tuesdays emergency order. to
obtain their supplies from nonunion
states until they had made every
effort to relieve the shortage by min
ing within their own confines.
Harding Names Commission.
President Harding announced the
appointment of Attorney General
Daugherty, Secretary of Interior
Fall, Secretary of Commerce Hoover
and Commissioner Aitchison of the
Interstate Commerce commission to
act as a national coal distribution
committee to carry out the Hoover
coal rationing plan. Mr.. Hoover is
chairman. A fifth member will be
added to undertake the admlnistra-
tive direction.
Secretary Hoover, as chairman O.
the committee, sent out kilograms
to the governors of the states call.
ing upon them to set up state or
ganizations to co-opertae, in dis
tributing the available coal supplies
to the points of greatest need.
The Interstate Commerce COM
mission, frankly declaring that the
emergency is "most acute" tele'
graphed the various state commis-
sions asking for their cooperation
in CARRYING out Tuesdays order de-
claring national emergency.
Beginning with conference with
w. w. Atterbury, vice president OF
the Pennsylvania, President Harding
made a new effort to induce the rail.
way executives to abandon their
stand on the seniority rule which is
blocking the way to settlement OF
the shopmen's strike.
Answers Attack.
The presidents telegram to Dean
was prompted by a message from
Dean assailing Mr.. Harding. charg-
ing that he was aiming at "involun-
tary servitude" in proposing to oper-
ate the mines and railroads by mill
tary force and by drafting men into
mining and railroad service.
Secretary of War Weeks declared
that those states which have plenty
of coal within their confines must
"mine their own" and not expect to
benefit by any assistance the federal
government is able to render by prl-
ority arrangements for the shipment
of coal. They must not sit idly by
and complain about their drastic min
ing laws standing in the way OF oper-
atlonS.
The secretary referred specifically
to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, where
he said there were large quantities OF
coal so near the surface that it could
be mined by steam shovels. These
states, he said, should, through their
own agencies, be able to afford pro-
lection to workers and to meet the
needs of the state for fuel.
Can Hardly Expect Aid.
with an abundance of coal at
hand" the secretary said, the state
authorities can hardly expect the fed
cral government to assist them IN
bringing coal from, say, West
| Virginia.
Secretary Weeks was asked con-
cernng a report that surplus army
officers were to be used by the fed
eral government in carrying out the
governments priority plan. He said
he had heard nothing of such plan,
further than that Secretary of Com
merce Hoover had suggested he
might be able to'use a certain army
officer. who is about to reti-. in the
administration of the plan.
Declaring that the emergency was
most acute, Commissioner Atchison
wired state railway and public untili-
ties commissions as follows:
Commission desires to know
whether, OF local developments con-
nected with our general service or
ders require, we can rely on having
active assistance of yaur commission.
| This possibly may involve survey
certification and policing certain
local needs under priority orders is
sued or to be issued. Emergency
most acute and requires best efforts
of all under common plan if distress,
which will come, is to be mitigated."
Little Progress Made.
Mr.. Atttbury's visit to the White
House was believed to mark the be-
ginning OF series of conferences by
the president with rail executives in
an effort to gring about a solution
OF the seniority problem. Mr.. After
6urys statement upon emerging
from the White House indicated that
the president had not ben able to
make much progress.
1t is believed that Mr.. Atterbury
informed the president that the Penn
sylvania could not restore seniority
rights OF striking employees. T. De-
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