Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-09-21
PINCHOT ACTED
ON OWN INITIA-
TIVE IN STRIKE

By International Labor News service.
Washington, d. c., Sept. 20.-Politi-
cal circles are much stirred over the
controversy as 10 how Coy. Pinchoi
Of Pennsylvania came into the coal
situation.
Some say he came in at the invita-
ton of President Coolidge. Others
say he came in on his own hook.
International Labor News Service
is in position to state the facts. Gov.
Pinch0t came into the coal situation
of his own yolition and not in any
sense as the agent of the White
House.
The governor acted when it became
clear that the White House had no
plan to offer and WheH the Atlantic
City conference between miners and
mine owners broke up.
He had refrained from acting
openly and earlier, it may be said. 50
as not TO embarrass the national ad
ministration in any effort it might
have been contemplating.
The governor first act was to
write letter to the President. When
the Atlantic City conference broke up
the governor telephoned to the White
House asking for an interview. The
interview was arranged and Gov.
Pinchot hurried to Washington. His
object was to learn whether the adj
ministration at Washin "ton had fur
Their plans and to ascertain whether
Intervention on his own part would
disarrange federal plans if there were
any.
Found Coolidge Had No Plan.
At the White House Gov. Pinchot
learned that the President had no
plans and that the field was clear.
The governor came into the situation
on his own initiative and there is
every indication that the President
was exceedingly glad to have the
problem thus taken off his hands.
Gov. Pinchot had been preparing
for action for some time before he
visited the White House. He had
been gathering statistics and formu-
lating plan for bringing miners
and mine owners together. He had
discussed the question with many
persons and he had informed repre-
sentatives of both sides of his proba-
BILE course of action. He had also
sought to learn whether action on
his part would be agreeable. II was
ers that the governor intended to act
nearly a week before his first open
step was taken.
1t is an interesting fact that many
officials in the federal government
had centered their efforts on the
question of a substitute for anthra
cite. They seemed to accept an an
thracte strike as a certaint" and to
bend their efforts toward promoting
the idea of a substitute for that fuel.
Strangely-or so it seems, at any
rate-almost all official talk of a sub
stitute hinged on bituminous coal.
The strength of the bituminous coal
interests was striking. There are
some twenty-five substitutes for an
thracite coal, chief of which are oil
and electricity, but official circles
confined themselves to bituminous
coal. The conference of eastern gov
errors, held just prior to the break
ing up of the Atlantic City confer
ence, also joined the chorus for BIZ
luminous coal.
Union Foes Behind Agitation.
The success of Gov. Pinchot's eff
forts had ruined the hopes of the
bituminous producers, but their hopes
| ran high for time. 1t is interest
| ing to note that the bituminous inter
ests that were behind the agitation
were chiefly non-union mine owners.
The United Mine Workers of America
have repeatedly called attention to
the situation and it is not improb-
! able that politicians in some quarters
may be long time explaining away
what some believe to have been an
alliance between them and non-union
interests for fresh onslaught on the
miners union.
The Pinchot conference ruined the
non-union bituminous scheme and
the gallant action of the miners
union made certain the continued
production of anthracite coal during
the coming winter season. The gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, in what he
did, acted on his own initiative and
not as the messenger or representa-
tive of anyone else.