Evening star., 1925-07-14
PRESIDENT TO ACT
TOPROTECT PUBLIC
FROM MINE STRIKE
Studies All Angles of Case to
Be Ready for Emergency
Action.
PARLEY WITH HAMMOND
Is CALLED FOR MONDAY
Loss of Markets Held Best
Weapon Against Unions
and Operators.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.
staff Correspondent Of The Star.

stan tOErespOnQent Oh Inc star
SUMMER WHITE HOUSE, Swamp
scott, Mass. July 14.-President
Coolidge is studying 2" the angles of
the threatended coal strike so as TO be
prepared to exert his influence TO
prevent public calamity should there
be a complete strike in the hard coal
regions Of Pennsylvania
This was made very plain at White
Court today by a spokesman for the
President. He stated further in this
connection that President Coolidge is
hoping that some agreement will be
reached between the operators and
miners to prevent a strike.
President Calls Hammond.
The situation facing the Govern
ment is no different than it was two
years ago, when the Federal authori-
ties found themselves powerless to
bring into play legal pressure to keep
the mines operating. Nevertheless
President Coolidge intends, If it be-
comes necessary, to act in a more
positive way than on the previous oc-
casion, when he permitted Gov. Pin
chot OF Pennsylvania to take over
the disputes and adjust them in way
unsatisfactory to the public and the
disputants. The result has been an
increase in price of coal and continued
dissatisfaction among the miners, with
the operators insisting that the wage
scale did not permit of a proper profit
There will be a conference at White
Court early next week between the
President and John Hays Hammond
on the coal situation.
Mr.. Hammond was chairman of the
United States Coal Commission which,
two years ago, determined all the facts
relative to the wage scale and recon-
mended legislation not carried out by
Congress. When seen at his Summer
home near here, Mr.. Hammond said
he is of the opinion that if the threat
ened strike should materialize il can
not be of a long duration that would
entail suffering TO the public and high
coal prices. Mr.. Hammond's opinion
is that the selfish interests of the min
ers and the operators would prevent
a prolonged strike.
He is confident that the workers ap-
preciate quite as we'll as the operators
that if there is a long strike the peo-
pie will find adequate substitutes for
hard coal and that the markets for
hard coal will be lost.
Silent on Wage Scale.
Mr. Hammond stated that he must
refrain from making any comment
upon the dispute between the miners
and operators over increased pay
which dispute. unless it is compromis-
ed, may lead to a strike on September
10. He said that the fact ct-finding COM
mission had thoroughly presented the
labor and wage situation in its report
of less than two years ago and the
III \ -
merits of the proposals of the miners
1t is the belief of Mr.. Hammond that
public opinion will not justify a strike
and without public sentiment a sue
cessful strike cannot be maintained.
He is holding himself in readiness to
cooperate with President Coolidge in
the event strike is declared.
Looking at the situation from the
point of view of the public and not
as an official who investigated the hard
coal problem" Mr.. Hammond said, II
should advise the public to buy its
Winters supply of coal now, not at
scare prices, but at present prices
These are now about as low as reason
ably can be expected under all cir
cumStanceS.
Urged Use of Substitutes.
1.-TWO years ago when a similar
strike was threatened and did appear,
l tried to impress upon the people the
use of substitutes, although the term
was not euphonistic. There are q lot
of substitutes that can be used with
out any serious inconvenience. / then
said that l did not believe that the
strike would be of long duration for
the reason that the operators and
miners, advocated by selfish reasons,
would soon see that the work of one
and the market for the other would be
lost if the people got used to burning
substitutes.
Il then said, and I repeat it in ref
erence to the present threatened
strike, if the people had then laid in
a supply of substitutes for hard coal,
the situation would have developed
after the strike was settled that there
would be no market for the hard coal
operators and no employment for the
miners. Many people followed these
suggestions and more will do so in
case another strike comes"
When asked if he thought the
threatened strike would materialize,
Mr.. Hammond said:
1T costs the miners nothing to put
up strong demands, nor will 1t cost
the operators anything to refuse these
demands. The only danger is the OPP
portunity given to middlemen and
| SPECTATORS to gouge the public. The
public should not be led into paying
t speculative prices. The report of the
| United States Coal Commission win
give the public all the information
| bearing on reasonable pirces Of coal. 3"
President Getting Rest.
President Coolidge arose earlier
than usual today and by o'clock he
had started on a walk, returning just
in time for breakfast. The President
is now getting in some real vacation.
Although he devotes a certain portion
of each day to work, he is making
few engagements, thus getting the
time he desires for reading and lolling
about on the porch a in his study
or for walking.
Besides seeing the newspaper cor
respondents covering the Summer
White House, the President today re-
ceived several personal friends, in
cluding George Hawley and Capt.
Eugene O'Donnell of Boston, and DR..
j. Henry Lancastershire, Manchester,
| Mass. At 4 o'clock this afternoon he
will have the pleasure of meeting
James c. Harris and the members
of the executive council of Massachu-
setts at the time he was governor of
r. ~,