The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-08-06
Northwest
IsFacing
Shutdown.
Minnesota Governor Appeals
to Hoover for Fuel Relief
Many Plants and News.
papers Must Close.
Price Control in Force

St. Paul. Aug. s.-(By A. P)-
Governor J. A. o. Preus. in = .ele-
gram TO Herbert Hoover. secretary
OF commerce, today declared the coal
situation in the northwest is "desper-
ate and that manufacturing plants
would be forced TO close, 100 news
papers suspend publication and many
men will be thrown out OF work un-
less relief is given at once.
Control Effective.
Washington, Aug. S. 49, Federal
prices for coal now are effective in 95
per cent OF the producing fields, Sec
rotary Hoover said today. Western
Kentucky operators. he added, have
come into line and accepted the
agreements fixing a minimum Of
$3.50 a ton at the mine with adjust
mcnts.
Within a week or 10 days, Mn
Hoover, declared, all the coal pro-
duced in the country will be flowing
through the federal fuel distributors
Office in Washington and price con-
troll will operate 100 per cent at the
mines.
When coal reaches the states, how
ever, the secretary asserted, it will be
up to the governors to prevent spec
ulation by resale or profiteering by
retailers.
Peace in Sight.
Chicago. Aug. 5.-With a possible
peace in sight in the coal strike fed
cral and state officials today were
Withholding action calculated to
bring about speedy resumption OF
PRODUCTION. but continued prepara-
lions for such a contingency should
he projected settlement plans fail.
The meeting Monday in Cleveland,
D., OF John L. Lewis. president OF
he United Mine Workers, and other
.nion chiefs with representatives OF
coal operators in the central COM
petitive fields was looked upon as the
final independent peace effort of the
"arring factions. 1t was believed
generally that should the Cleveland
conference fail President Harding
would take some drastic action
toward ending the tieup of mines,
Drastic Action Planned.
= Washington, Aug. 5.-Drastic ac-
ton by the government to force the
production of coal and avert, if pos
sible, the increasing menace of a coal
siannne this winter will be taken by
President Harding. next week, unless
in the meantime there are promising
limitations that settlement of the
:oal strike can be effected through an
agreement between the mine workers
Ind the operators.
At present there are no such in
timations. The president, however,
is willing to wait until after the con-
ference between the representatives
OF the mine workers and few of the
operators at Cleveland on Monday.
II this produces no results which
promise the resumption of coal min
ing upon an extensive scale, the
president has decided, the time will
have come for the intervention of the
government in the interest of the
general public.
May Seize Minis.
The presidents plan, a. understood
by some of his advisers. will be to
take over number of larger mines,
place United States troops in posses
sion of them and call upon miners,
regardless of whether they are union
or nonunion men, to go to work for
the government. with full assurance
of adequate protection.
That this course will be pursued S
now regarded as certainty. 1t is
no secret among the presidents close
friends and advisers that he has no
hope that the Cleveland conference
will advance the nation any closer to
an adequate fuel supply than it is at
present,