The New York herald., 1922-05-19
COAL MEN PLEDGED
TOBARPROFITEERING
Hoover Gets a Tentative
Agreement Effective in
Life of Strike.
THREAT BRINGS ACTION
open Shop Operators
Agree to Sell Direct to
Consumers.
U. $. AGENT sUPERvIsEs
Clearing House at Mines to
Work i'm Conjunction
With Washington.
U. s. AGENT sUPERvIsEs

! WASHINGTON, May 1S.-Coal opera
tors from whose mines is coming the
bulk Of non-union and "open sEop'
coal being produced in spite of the
bituminous miners' strike reached an
agreement to-day with Secretary
Hoover on an Administration plan for
preventing profiteering and high coal
prices during the period the industry
remains partially tied up.
The scheme was adopted only after
some tense moments in open debate
during which Mr.. Hoover told the
perators-assembled in response to
President Harding's invitation-that
the coal industry would either govern
itself or the Government would govern
it." 1t was drawn up in formal
statement by a committee of the
operators present for reference to At
torney- General Daugherty. The COM
mittee also issued a call for another
and larger gathering of operators to
ratify TIE plan and to bring the COM
mittee organization into being.
During the discussion Of his plan Sec
retery Hoover said: ''T am not one of
those who wish to see the Govern
ment stretch its arm further into the
field of private enterprise. but you must
make sure OF this: that industry must
operate in the public interest and un-
less industry can govern itself the pub
lie will govern industry whether you
| like il or not.
This situation is loaded with dyna-
mite. If it is not cleared up the public
will take such a hold on coal production
that you will not get rid OF IL in twenty
five years. am here to-day urging the
freedom OF business from Government
and in your interest"
Prices to BE Reasonable.
In brief. the plan will requ.r, the
creation of clearing house committees
| in each producing coal district made UP
OF operators. consumers representa-
tives and a Governm snt agent who will
supervise distribution OF orders for
coal WIFI see that coal is sold direct to
consumers and that prices are reason
| able A general committee in Wash
ington of thu same type will obtain
| coordination between the district COM
| mittees. Mr.. Hoover assured the meet
fifty operators. that the plan would be
voluntary and temporary"
Secretary Hoover also proposed tha.
the scale Of prices fixed by Fuel Admin.
istrator Garfield in 1917 with such ad-
| justments as may be necessary, should
serve as the rough basis for pric:
agreements. The conference hung mo-
mentarily at this point. but unanimous
| agreement was eventually secured Mr.
| Hoover asserted there woud he no diff.
flcuity In obtaining public opinion for a
plan OF getting the public enough coel
and cheaper COAL even though u
should involve temporary price re.
| straiiits.
Discussing the conference later. be
warned that II was "by no means GER
tain that such a plan will succeed.
pointing out that the fifty operators in
the agreement though controlling n yerv
great proportion of present soft coal
production. had TO obtain the coopera.
tion OF 1900 other operators" He de.
scribed IL as plan to see what we
can do by purely voluntary action. IN
the absence of any legal authority what
soever. by the coal mine operators which
calls for self-denial by all of them"
Tho chief task. Mr. Hoover said
"would be to penetrate the entire body
Of 1900 operators with the plan agreed
upon. In 1920. he added. "in a some
what similar situation" nothing has
been done until prices got from 50 e
SIS a ton while to-day they wera gen.
orally from s2.25 to SO a ton, with s4.s,
being reached in some districts"