The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-25
SENATOR'S DEMAND DRASTIC ACTION
 UPON TWO STRIKES
Cummins Proposes Federal Control of Fuel Distribution. Senate to Act on
 Borah Bill
By Associated Press


 Washington, August 24.-Goverr- ment operation of the coal mines and federal control of coal distribution in such a manner as to prevent profi- teering were proposed in measures today in the Senate. Other in the coal and rail included:
 Decision by the Senate labor
 committee to substitute the
 Borah coal commission bill for
 the winsIow commission bill,
 passed yesterday by the House.
 Demands in the Senate for
 prompt and drastic government
 action to end both the coal and
 rail strikes.
 Announcement by Secretary
 Hoover that within n week daily
 bituminous coal production would
 he sufficient for the nations
 needs, but that the country faced
 a shortage of freight cars which
 would be acute within n month.
 A declaration by Chairman
 Cummins, of the Senate inter-
 stnte commerce committee that
 Congress. at its next session,
 would take up industrial prob
 Iems with view to determine
 "what place unionism should oc-
 cupy in the civilization of the
 United States.v
 A resolution empowering the Pres ident to take over and operate the mines was introduced by Senator f~1. Jaxe q after a long and heated Senate de- bate, and was referred to the inter- state commerce committee. To this same committee was sent an admin istration bill offered by Senator Cummings proposing to create a fed eral coal distrib ibution agency, which working through the interstate com meree commission, would control not only distribution of, but profiteering in coal. Chairman Cummins calle1 a meeting of his committee for Sat urday to consider the administration biil.
 Act on Borah Measure
 The Senate is expected to act first on the Borah substitute for the Winslow bill, which Senator Borah plans to call up tomorrow. It pro- poses a commission of five members  try and make recommendations te Congress.
 As Senate debate proceeded with predictions made by some senators oi dire distress over the country this winter, Secretary Hoover predicted q sharp increase in bituminous produc- tion next week, placing the probable output at 7000,0 900 tons, as compared with 4,000,000 tons last week. He Indicated, however. that serious transportation difficulties would be encountered in ts' movement of eoa with the crisis reached within ! month unless there should be se- tlement meantime of the railroad strike.
 The anthracite situation was re- gardod by the Secretary of Commerce as acute. He advised anthracite users to be prepared to burn substi- tutes next winter.
 Hardships Probable
 Senate discussion, the first ex- tended debate on either the coal or rail strikes. brought express ons from practically all senators par ticipating, that in their judgment there was bound to be actual hard ships and suffering from lack of coal this winter. even should the strike be settled tomorrow.
 Senator Lenroot. republican. Wis consin, declared that the situation with respect to both the coal and rail controversies was 'so bad" thar the publics interest now justified .more than mediation"
 The President ought to be att thorized to take over both the rail- roads and the mines and in his dis. al- I.
 Complaining about what he char the President and Congress, Senator Walsh. democrat, Massachusetts, de- clarod that much of the unrest in the country was due ito the fact that here we dilly-dally; here we object; here we filibuster; here We never take action.''
 Demands Action
 Demanding immediate action to re- lieve what he said threatened to be a desperate situation this coming winter, Senator Walsh warned that there was a growing belief among the people that in an emergency like this they will be allowed to starve and die without relief from their government"
 Vigorously defending the Presi- dent. Senator Cummins declared that the executive had done every thing in his power to bring about . settlement and 10 relieve the peo-, pie.
 MT. Borah held hat Congress had no power under the constitution to enact legislation compelling a set tlement and similar view was ex- pressed by Senator Shields. demo- crat, Tennessee