Evening star., 1926-06-06
NEW COAL BILL CARRIES
OUT PRESIDENTS VIEWS
House Committee Makes Good Start
Toward Bringing Order Out Of
Chaos i'm Industry.

threatens to obstruct and hamper the
operation and efficiency Of the Army
and the Navy and the operation of
carriers engaged in commerce among
the several States and with foreign
countries
The powers of the Interstate Com
merce Commission are, during the
aforesaid emergency, enlarged to In
| clUde the authority to issue in trans
portation of coal or other fuel. orders
| for priorities in car service. embargOes
and other suitable measures in favor
| of or against any carrier which
shall be subject to the Interstate Com
merce act and to take any other
necessary and appropriate steps for
priority in transportation and for the
equitable distribution Of coal or other
fuel, as is best to meet the emergency
and to promote the general welfare
and to prevent upon the part of any
person. partnership, association or
corporation the purchase or sale of
coal or other fuel at prices unjustly
or unreasonably high"
This act was passed September %,
1922. while the Nation was in the
midst of great coal strike, which
| combined with rail strike virtually
to force many industries to close down.
The provisions in the second para
graph OF the act answer many of the
questions asked during the hearing as
, to the powers Of the Federal Govern.
ment in the event of a national emer-
gency caused by stoppage Of coal pro-
duction.
Provides Fuel Distribution.
Further. it empowers the President
to appoint a Federal fuel distributor,
VINO shall first ascertain whether there
exists in any part Of the United States
shortage Of coal or other fuel; the
field of production of coal and other
fuel and the markets to which such
production is or may be transported
or distributed; the prices normally
| charged and whether current prices
are just and reasonable. He Is EN-.
powered to work closely with the In.
terstate Commerce Commission in as.
signment OF car priority orders and to
cooperate with all public agencies hav-
Ing similar emergency powers.
AT present there Is one drawback
to the situation. viewed from the Gov
ernment standpoint. This Is that there
does not now exist any Government
agency currently reporting, investi-
eating and issuing reports on coal. In
other words no continuing Govern
ment agency is specifically empowered
to make coal its dominant business
and to act as the fact.finding BODY to
back up the fuel administrator with
the facts OF the situation at any given
time. whether in an emergency or not.
This would be corrected under the
terms OF the House measure, which
would place such powers in the Bu-
reau or Mines, direct the chief Of the
bureau to gather and disseminate all
information on coal and act as the
Government fact-finding bureau for
the industry.
The Parker measure empowers the
mines bureau to gather, analyze.
compile and make public from time to
time. facts and statistics relating to
the number of mines. the number Of
employees, and the rate OF wages, the
time worked. the production and mar
ketlng, distribution, consumption and
stocks and selling prices Of coal, ap-
propriate for consideration in the de-
termination Of a sound public policy
in regard to such industries"
The Geological Survey Of the In
terior Department. the Census Bureau
and the Bureau Of Foreign and. Do
mestic Commerce Of the Commerce
Department. and upon executive or
der. any other department or inde.
pendent establishment in the execu-
tive branch. shall also furnish the
Bureau Of Mines with such informa-
tion and statistics as may be neces.
sary to enable the latter bureau to
protect the Government and public
interest.
Mine Seizure Ignored.
There Is in the committee measure
no hint Of the drastic action urged by
some witnesses who appeared before
the committee-that Of empowering
the President to take over the mines
in time Of national emergency, and op-
crate them either by soldiers, or by
offering the miners special subsidies
to go back to work. Either of these
courses, committee members felt,
would be dangerous. Nor Is there
anywhere in the committee print any
suggestion that another Government
bureau be established. other than the
setting up Of the Office Of Federal fuel
distributor In time Of emergency
powers that are already vested in the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
The committee measure, in the opin.
ion Of those who have read it, comes
as close to a satisfactory compromise
and an act which will hold over both
miner and operator the great power
Of public authority. as could be
drafted.
In addition. the President would BE-
authorized. whenever he is Of the
opinion that it Is in the public interest
and is necessary to preserve or restore
Industrial peace in the industry, to d.
rect the Secretary Of Labor to con-
ciliate differences, encourage arbitra-
ton, or act as mediator. He Is also
authorized to establish temporary
boards Of mediation and open the files
and records Of the Government to
such agencies in order that they may
be we'll informed as to conditions in
the industry.