The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-07-28
new ISSUES ARE
RAISED IN THE
COAL SITUATION
Question of How Far the
Federal Government
Can Go Is Brought UP
By the Governor of
Michigan

Lansing, Mich, July 2S.-A letter
from President Harding declaring, in
effect, that the federal government
is pOwerless to interfere with the
attitude of the United Mine Work
ers Of America toward independent To-
cal agreements; that at present moth
ing can be done except enable men
willing to work, to work i'm safety
and that the big issue in the coal
strike dispute is national dictation
esitatingly assumed by the mine
workers which must be taken care
of by federal legislation" today drew
sharp contradiction from Governor
Alex J. GrOesbeck.
Replying to the letter from the
president, Gov. Groesbeck declared he
could not concede the federal govern
ment has not the power to protect
our citizens from the embarrassing
situation that faces us"
The letter was in reply to a tele.
gram sent by the governor last night
when he informed the national exc
cutive he was asking John L. Lewis
president of the mine workers to
grant Michigan miners permission to
enter agreements Independently of
their national affiliation and return
to work
The presidents reply follows:
Il do not know whether you havo
the persuasive power to effect a vol
untary agreement in Michigan,
but | think it fair to assume you will
not enforce such an arrangement
For the present. in the absence of
law to guarantee service in the public
welfare We can only take steps neces-
sary to enable men willing to work
to do so in perfect safety.
II do not think this means an arm
ed guard al the mouth of every mine
II does need the assurance that state
authority and federal authority when
needed, means to protect every man
in the pursuit of lawful employment"
1T is matter Of record" the Pres
ident wrote that coal operators and
mine workers in many districts have
been quite ready to come to some
agreement in very short order but
the policy of the national OrganiZa-
tion is hostile to district or state ar
rangemrnt This, apparently. is one
of the issues involved and one which
must be definitely settled | don't
know of any way of settlement under
the legal authorities now possessed
by either state or federal government.
"Manifestly. legislation must be
provided and | mean to submit the
whole problem to congress at the
earliest consistent time after the
house reassembles.
IF the coal producers of the United
States were SO organized that ma
tional body were to determine the
policy of every member and permit
no sales of coal except upon dictation
of terms by these national officials,
every state legislature and congress
itself would instantly put an end to
such practice. The mine workers
unhesitatingly assume national dista-
tion. 1t is a point involved in the
present national dispute Frankly |
think it must he dealt viii if we have
any security and any assurance of IA
supply of fuel"
The Governors reply. in the form
of a letter, said, in part
There being no dispute over wages
or working conditions. it seems a pity
that the public must be made to suf-
fer without any justificatio whatever.
You will pardon me for taking the
position that the federal government
has the power and authority to pro-
tect our citizens from the embarrass-
ing situation that faces us. | do not
see how we can concede that such
power does not exist. | am writing
frankly because the people are becom-
ing impatient of further delay in the
adoption Of measures that will spell an
early end of the matter"