Evening star., 1923-07-24
System That Can Be Made
Operative in Emergency Is
Strike Antidote.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SEE
NO CHANCE FOR FAMINE
Present Apparent Shortage Traced
to Heavy Buying During
Summer Period.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


has a comprehensive and detailed
blan for government control and
operation of the anthracite coal mines
ready to be put in force on about
twentyfour hours notice. This plar
was worked out by Edward c. Finney,
now first assistant secretary Of the
Interior by direction Of President
Harding a. yea@ ago and the officials
Of the bureau Of mines are in close
conference with the Coal Comnis
sion ready to put this plan to worE
just as soon as the interests OF the
public demand il.
This was learned today on the
highest authority, and it is because
the anthracite miners anu coal oper-
ators know that the federal govern
ment is ready to meet a strike firmly
and promptly, that the government
officials in closest touch with the
coal problem feel sure there Will
be no general strike in the anthra-
cite fields.
Then. if there is no general strike
when the existing wage agreement IN
the anthracite field expires on August
81, there probably will be great sur
plus production of anthracite, Whlch
threatens Il collapse of the anthracite
market before winter. This is stated
positively by n government official
who is in closest touch with the sit
uation and who expresses optimism
that the domestic consumer viii be
able TO get all the coal he needs this
winter.
To Await Emergency.
This information was given in di-
rect reply to questions regarding the
situation as critically described BY
Representative Allen T. Treadway OF
Massachusetts, who urged President
Harding to call Congress in special
session to act upon the fact-findins
commissions report, with the Presl-
dents recommendation. 1t was also
emphasized that the commission rec
commended that such course should
| not be taken until the emergency
| arose which demanded action for the
public welfare. This shows that the
! federal government is sleeping on It's
arms" ready to act at once and in
we'll thought out and matured plan,
if the emergency does arise.
Considerable anxiety has been tei
because the power of government
agencies supposed to bring relief Ill
q coal crisis ends automatically on
September %. The act which set up
the office of federal fuel distributor
and gave him wide powers OF tnveS-
d
ferred on the Interstate Commerce
Commission authority to regulate the
ALLEGATION of coal cars, TO compel
railroads to give priority to coal ship
other freight in favor of coal, ex-
pires September %. The United
States coal commission, which Il
purely a "fact-fnding body" and SO
repeatedly described by the President
and other officials, also automatically
loo n
Procedure Explained.
What probably will be done in the
event of a strike Is explained by
high government official who knows
all the ins and outs of the coal stu
alton He says that the President
would establishment by appointment
temporary and emergency federal
agency to take charge of coal dis
trihution, just as he did last summer.
before Congress, by direct legislation.
established the existing organization.
The President would then endeavor
to protect the operators while they
continued to mine the coal, and to
have prices held down to a reasonable
amount through invoking co-opera-
tion and by moral suasion, just as was
done during the stressful period last
year.
To Try New Plan.
Then,-if such peaceful and diplomat /
ic efforts failed the plan which IS
all ready in the bureau OF mines, pre-
! pared at the direction of President
Harding and approved by him, will be
tried. Those who know the details of
this plan and the inward workings Of
the coal business declare there is no
doubt but that il would work effec-
lively. 1t would employ troops TO
protect the mine properties
While the public has not been in
formed of this plan those who are
now endeavoring to reach wage
agreement know about 1t, and this
knowledge is expected to have salu-
tary influence on the radical element
| Who are urging strike. Z,
This is the mailed hand behind the
recent warning of President Harding
and the United States Coal Commits
| sion that there must be no strike In
the anthracite field.
Afraid of u. S. Control.
The miners no less than the mine
owners are afraid of government
operation Of the mines. because il
| might be made permanent and be-
cause it would at once dispense with
certain privileges now e&iStihS az Ca
pense of the public.
In direct reply to the statement of
representative Treadway that the
public cannot get coal at a fair price
because middlemen have monopoly
of the market and are gouginG the
public at the rate OF 81 ton for
coal mined by independent operators
through collusion with the railroads,
this government official says:
The public cannot get all the coal
it orders now, because 1t Is ordering
an unprecedented quantity. About 90
per cent of the regular consumption
is already in the bins of the house
holders. The production OF anthra-
cite this summer has been record
breaking The coal Is in the bins of
| the consumer instead of in the bins
| of the dealers, as in other years. This
is particularly true in New England.
to which Representative Treadway
made special reference
Sees Plentiful supply.
| This official, who has access to all
the records, predicts that by August
Is. If the present rate of production
is kept up, there will be coal enough