Evening star., 1923-12-27
EXPLAINS PROPOSED
MINE DEPARTMENT
0ddie Discusses New Federal
Control Agency With
President.

Creation Of a new federal depart
ment to be known as the Department
of Mines, which will absorb the geo.
! logical survey and the bureau of
mines now under the jurisdiction of
the Department of Interior, as pro-
| vided for in a bill recently introduced
! by him, was urged upon President
Coolidge today by Senator Oddie of
/ Nevada
/ The latter said, after his audience
F, with the Executive, that his bill would
provide for an additional cabinet
member. and besides the two bureaus
already mentioned, he would place
one or two other bureaus of the gov
ernment in this new department. be-
cause of their present relation TO us
J contemplated activities.
| Senator Oddie explained that his
proposed Legislation is in no wise
/ connected with the proposed legiSla-
ton providing for complete reor-
| ganization OF the executive depart
ments of the government and he in
! tends to push his bill irresDsctiv.: of
! the latter. He contends that there
, is great national need for enlarSlnS
the governments activities in relation
! to coal lands, their development and
! the mining and distribution IT this
commodity.
! He explained further that one Of
! the principal objects q us bin is 10
have a bureau of coal un,-. this new
| department that will handle all Of
the nations coal problems. Besides
promoting development of coal this
bureau will keep up-to-date ali facts
that have been collected and ale
| being collected.
Although he would like to see a
! bureau of coal. with considerable
powers, he would have it devote its
! activities, for the greater part, along
investigational and research lines.
He is confident that conditions gen.
orally throughout the country would
be improved and considerable of the
worries and troubles associated with
the coal industry would be removed.
In Favor Of Bill.
Senator Oddie said he had not dis
Cussed his Legislation with either
Walter +. Brown, chairman of the
joint congressional committee on re-
organization. or Senator Reed Smoot,
vice chairman of that committee. who
is to handle this reorganization legis-
lation on the hill. He did say that
DR.. George Otis Smith, director of the
geological survey, and John Hays
Hammond, chairman of the recent
federal coal commission, are strongly
in favor of his bill.
The Nevada senator. following his
talk with the President said the lat
/
proposition. but did not commit him.
self.
Hearings on the plan approved by
President Coolidge for the reorganiZa-
ton of the executive departments will
be started January . by the joint
committee. Senator Smoot, who will
be in charge of the committee in the
conduct of these hearings. announced
this at the White House following a
short talk with the President. He
c. ri hnWaN-tar al 10
President did not include any refer
ence to reorganization. Politics was
the principal topic, he explained
Senator ,Smoot intends to invite only
departme entail heads and heads of in
dependent bureaus and other govern
ment agencies, and others who are
known to be especially well informed
regarding certain branches of the
government to attend these hearings
He explained that the committee Will
he glad to hear the views of any one
if they are Of a constructive and un-
selfish nature.
The Utah senator said there is not
the slightest doubt in his mind about
the outcome Of the next republican
national convention. According to
him. President Coolidge's preconven-
ton campaign is over and he will be
nominated on the first ballot. The
country is satisfied with him and
wants him for the next four years,
Mr.. Smoot said.
The President today held separate
conferences with Senators Lodge of
Massachusetts, majority leader in the
Senate and Curtis of Kansas, republi-
can whip of the Senate. Although
neither was very talkative upon
leaving the Presidents office. they
intimated that administration legisla-
tion and the efforts to complete the
organization of the Senate We're
touched upon.