Evening star., 1925-08-31
COOLIDGE IS URGED
7 TO ACT IN STRIKE
Hammond Calls Attention to
Coal Commissions Plan
to Avert Tie-up.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG,
staff Correspondent of The Star.


SUMMER WHITE HOUSE. Swamp.
scott, Mass, August 31.-The impend'
ing anthracite coal strike is to the
fore at White Court today. and while
President Coolidge is understood TO be
giving it considerable thought. there
is not the slightest intimation at this
hour that he will take any step look
ing toward averting the strike called
for midnight tonight.
Coal experts represented III the
Presidents callers today We're John
Hays Hammond who was chairman
of the United States Coal Commission
Two years ago. and Henry 5. Lyons
and James J.. Richards, officers of the
New England Coal and Fuel Co.
Mr.. Hammond said after seeing the
President that he suggested to the
President to again recommend to Con
sTess the enactment into law Of the
recommendations contained in the
final report of the United States Coal
Commission two years ago. While Mr..
Hammond did not care Ia discuss tn,
Presidents attitude. he said it would
not be difficult 10 @ucss that Mr.. Coni-
idge is very fuyor;ibly inclined, mas
much as he recommended this legisla-
ton To the last Congress hut the lat
ter did not see lit 10 consider il.
The outstanding features OF these
recommendations are: a continuous
fact-finding body. publicity and rc2u-
lation OF both the anthracite ana
bituminous fields; to regulate the in
dustry through the use Of the Federal
Government powers over the Inter
state Commerce Commission: the Gre
alton of a coal division in the l. c. c.
which division should act to correct
abuses, collect information and in the
event of emergencies act as fuel
administrator. and ..atem of Fed
eral licensing.
Mr.. Hammond said he still felt con
fdent that the strike will not be of
long duration and that there viii be
very little suffering because of a lack
Of coal during the period of cessation,
because Of the large quantity Of
mined coal on hand and because there
mas been u tremendous increase in the
use of coal substitutes.
No POLICY Indicated
President Coolidge has not Vet in
dicated the policy he proposed To
pursue TO settle the strike or the
course he will take to induce labor
and capital to compose their diff
culties in semi-public utilities with
out resorting to strikes That Presi-
dent Coolidge wants 10 do something
Of a permanent character in this coal
strike is declared by his advisers.
Therefore. they say that he viii not
act hastily, but only after public SEN
timent takes a stand which will in
fiuence action by Congress and per
haps compel the union and operators
70 agree to a proposal seeking to
end strikes or make them less ca ~.
While those close to the President
DO not think that there is the slight
est likelihood at this time of the Presi-
dent calling a special session of Con-
gress to enact legislation To cope
with this public crisis, il is felt Ger
tain, though, that in his next mes
sage to Congress he viii urge legis-
lation along the lines recommended
ny the Coal Commission.
II is understood that the New Eng
land coal authorities came TO dis
cuss the railroad situation in this
section and the proposed voluntary
consolidation of railroads