New-York tribune., 1922-04-22
Favor Commission Backed
by Government to Learn
Facts and Suggest WAYS
10 Inaug,iratc New Policy
For Protection Of Public
Garfield. Bruerc, Murray
and Watkins Discuss All
Sides of the Question

aided by ali concerned SIS golden op-
rortunity FOR sssuaEjnE the public
clauor for presentation of the facts
Of the miners strike and the coal in
dustry in general.
After the last 81 thank you" had been
uttered il was discovered. through sum
mar1ng the myriad Of complex and
conflicting observations Of the evening.
That the debaters had succeeded in at
tanning q harmonious agreement on at
least one polnt-that the facts should
be dug out of the nation coal mines
and presented to the public. and the
sooner tho better.
The debate, which was arranged by
. the Survey Associates. interested in tho
publication Of several economic peri
odicsls Of New York City, was attended
by more than 500 persons prominent I'M
various walks of business, professional
snd industrial life. Philip Murray.
yice-preSident Of the United Nine
Workers, spoke for the miners. He was
opposed by Thomas n. Watkins. prcs-
dent Of the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke
Company, on behalf OF the operators.
The other two speakers, DR.. Harry A.
Garfield, president of Williams Col
isge and head Of the fuel administra-
ton during the war. and Robert Bruerc
director of the Bureau OF Industrial
Research, took the platform in the in
terest of the public.
Admit Industry Badly Regulated
Despite the fact that their statements
csshed frequently, especially in the
case Of what Messrs. Murray and Wat
sIns had to say, all admitted that the
production of coal in the United States
is a badly regulated industry The
process of mining out the facts and
thus furnishing basis for setting the
industry on q sound basis should be
undertaken, they declared. by some sort
o. commission having the backing OF
the Federal government.
ASIDE from their suggestions for fact
hunting, most of what Mr. Murray aud
Mr. Watkins said of each others in
'erests has been said publicly before.
Mr.. Murray created something Of p
.tlr when he put forward plan which
be declared would terminate the strike
Immediately on it's adoption.
THE miners" he said, will declare
the strike off and return to work
pending the negotiation of q new
agreement II Congress will pass q
joint resolution or bill providing that,
% the award of the Bituminous Coal
Commission Of 1920 be applied to all
soft coal operations, and (2) the recon-
mendation Is made to the President to
call national conference of the repre-
sentatives cf all operators and mine
workers to negotiate new agreement"
The miners have held all along that
the government should force the BIZ
luminous operators to meet the miners
IN accordance with the old agreement.
The miners chief demand is for con
tnuatfon of the present wage scale.
which Is based in most districts on the
1870 commissions award
Wants Inquiry Commission
Concerning permanent policy for
regularizing production and stabilizinQ
The industry, Mr.. Murray recommended
Che appointment OF "a representative.
technical and official commission
charged with the duty Of collecting
and analyzing all the facts and with
making sound and appropriate con
structivo Recommendations
Such a commission" he said. "shou}d
include within it's membership sll
he government agencies dealing with
Goa CO.. as well as representatives Of
all parties interested. Tho chair
man should he some eminent and un.
nreludlced representative Of the public
The members should consist Of the
chief Of the Bureau Of Mines, the chief
Of the Geological Survey, the chair
man OF the Federal Trade Commission.
the chairman of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the governor of the
Federal Reserve Board, the Secretary
Of the Interior, the president Of the
National Coal Association and the
president Of the United Mine Workers
o. America"
While most OF Mr.. Watkins's re-
marks were in the nature Of an attack
on the miners union, in which he went
80 Tar as to question TO what extent
the Communistic element has pene-
trated the United Mine Workers. he
admitted that 'If we could find a cure
jor intermlttency of employment in the
h'tumlnous industry, we could probably
ind means Of allaying a great deal
a unrest and serve the public better
Later he said: "A tribunal author
Ted by Law to conduct compulsory
inquiry may be found to be the proper
solution. Such a tribunal, if selected
from prominent publc-sprited citizens
free from political ambitions, inter
csted in supporting our present form
Of government and the liberties guar
an'eed Hereunder. may eventually be
ne only method Of giving the public
the basis upon which it can form A
definite and lasting opinion of the prin-
ciple which must govern the production
and distribution of the nations coal
resources
Garfeld's Proposal
Dr Garfield presented fact re
search plan which 10 q considerabl c
extent agreed with that Of Mr.. Murray
He outlined his proposal as follows:
y. That two separate Federal ad
visory commissions be established, eacf
having to do with cosl-A bitumlnouS
commission and an anthracite commits
sion-repnesenting the public. the
mine workers and the operators.
"2. That the Secretary Of Commerce
oe designated chairman OF each com
mission TO act for the Pres ident as thf
representatives Of the public.
"3. That the mine workers be repre-
sented on each commission by, say
three members, chosen by and from
their own group, and that the opera
tors be represented by an equal mum
eer chosen in the same way.
4. That these commissions shaI
rave authority to require from The
Federal Trade Commission. Bureau OF
Labor Statistics of the Department OF
Labor, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and the Geological Survey Of
the Interior Department all the facts
necessary for the determination OF pol
lcies
"5. That Congress be asked to ap