Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-18
President Harding Went Before Congress
This Afternoon And Spoke On Industrial
Situation That Confronts Country Today

or worth while results viii ensue
unless We may have a government
commission. independent of the In
dustry, clothed with authority by
the congress to search deeply, SO
that it may advise as to fair wages
and as to conditions of labor and
recommend the enactment of laws
to protect the public in the future.
The almost total exhaustion of
stocks of coal. the crippled condi-
ton of the railways, the distressed
situation that has arisen and might
grow worse in our great cities due
to the shortage of anthracite, the
suffering which might arise In the
northwest through failure to meet
winter needs by lake transporta.
ton, all these added to the posi-.
bility of outrageous price demands,
in spite of the most Jealous volun-
tary efforts of the government to
restrain them make it necessary to
ask you to consider Immediately
some form, some term control for
the distribution and prices.
THE administration earnestly
has sought to restrain prohteering
and to secure the rightful distribu.
ton OF such coal as has been avail
able in this emergency. There were
no legal powers for price control
There has been cordial Co-opera
ton in many places, a fine revela.
ton of business conscience strong
er than the temptation to profit by
a peoples misfortune. There have
been instances of fiat refusal. | re-
ioice to make grateful acknowled.
cement to those who preferred to
contribute to national welfare rath-
er than profit by a nations dis
tress.
If it may have your approval.
recommend provision for a tenn
porary national agency with the
needed capital to purchase, sell and
distribute coal which Is carried in
interstate shipment. | do not mean
that all interstate coal shall be
handled by such federal organlza-
ton; perhaps none will be neces-
sary; but it will restore its capital
to the public treasury and will be
the fundamentally Of guarding the
interest where private conscience
IL insensible to public needs.
This proposal does not relate to
any possible employment in any in
trastate shipments Price restraint
and equitable distribution in intra-
state shipments Is responsibility
Of the states own government. In
such voluntary activities as nave
been carried on thus far, the feder-
al government has endeavorcd to
ro-establish the authority and re-
sponsibility in the states whiC''
was undetermined in the necessary
Capitalization of authority during
the world war.
1.-THE public menace in the coal
situation was made more acute and
more serious at the beginning Of
July by the strike of the federated
shop crafts in the railroad service
strike against a wage decision
made by the railroad IaDor board,
directly affecting approximately
100000 men. The justice Of the de-
cisiOn Is not for discussion here.
The decision has been lost sight Of
in subsequent developments. n
any event, it was alwo>5 possible
to appeal for rehearing and the
submission Of new evidence, and it
is always safe assumption that a
a government agency Of adjustment
deciding unjusty will be quick to
make right any wrong.
'The railroad labor board was
created by Congress for the express
purpose OF hearing and deciding
disputes between the carriers and
their employees so that no contro-
versy lead to the interruption in the
interstate transportation.
ct was inevitable that many
wage disputes should agise Maaas
had mounted upward, ny
and justly, during the war upheayal,
likewise the cost OF transportation
50 that the higher wages might be
paid. 1t was inevitable that some
djustments should follow. Natu-
rally these readjustmcnts We're re-
sisted. The administrative govern
ment neither advocated nor oppos-
ed. It only held that the labor
board was the lawful agency Of the
government to hear and decide dis
putcs. and its authority must be gus.
tanned, as the law contemplated.
This must be 50, whether the car
riers or the employees ignore its de
cisions.
"Unhappily a number Of decisions
Of this board have ben ignored by
the carriers. In only one instance,
however had a decision, challenged
by carrier, been brought to the at
tention Of the department Of justice,
and this decision was promptly car
RED to the courts and has recently
been sustained in the federal court
OF appeals. The public or the exc
cutiye had no knowledge of the ig-
nored decisions in other cases, be-
cause they did not hinder transpor-
tation When these failures of
many of the carriers to abide by de-
cisions Of the board We're brought
to my attention, could more fairly
appraise the feelings Of the strik-
ers, though they had remedy with
out seeking to paralyze interstate
commerce.
1.-THE law creating the railroad
labor board is inadequate. Contrary
to popular impression, it has little
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