Evening star., 1926-03-28
congressman, Seeing New
Emergency, Plan to Speed
Legislation.
PRESENT HIGH PRICES
CAUSE APPREHENSION
Cost of Production Declared No
Greater Than Last Year. But Cut
in Rates Believed Unlikely.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,

A hual drive to enact coal leSISld-
tion before the close of the present
session Of Congress is about 10 he
launched
Hearings on the proposed coal legs-
= lation win begin before the House
Interstate and foreign commerce
committee on Tuesday
The Senate education and labor
subcommittee in charge Of coal legis
latiou has already held several con
fereuCes and collected considerable
data and is to hold another meeting
early this week.
There Is a growing feeling among
some OF the members of Congress
that while the strike emergency
growing out of the suspension last
September of anthracite mining has
passed, there is another emergency
an emergency of high prices of fuel.
The prices charged for anthracite
coal today they say, are ranging
much higher per ton. depending on
he grades of coal. than were the
prices for similar coal n year ago,
although there has been no increase
in the cost of production due TO labor
costs Furthermore. they point out
that the reports from Pennsylvania
declare there Is 10 he no reduction
for prices of coal during the Summer
months this year such as have been
made in past years.
See Effort TO ASSESS Public.
The price of substitutes rose higher
and higher during the anthracite
strike. until in some instances they eX-
ceeded the prices charged for the an
thracite coal before the strike began.
Now. members of Congress are say
Ing, there seems to be an effort to get
the prices Of anthracite up to the
prices which have been charged for
the substitutes. They insist that the
effort now is to make the public pay
for the strike" although the pubic
had nothing whatever TO do with
bringing about the suspension of
work in the mines.
There is no disposition on the part
of these members of Congress so far
to seek price fixing legislation for
coal. But they do feel that If full
publicity isasiYen to the costs of pro-
duction transportation, etc, regard
Ing coal and profits, 1t would not be
easy for operators or dealers to in
crease prices without good cause other
than a desire to increase profits.
VIII Push for Action.
REPRESENTATIVE Parker of New York,
chairman Of the House interstate
commerce committee. said yesterday
that a coal bill would be framed and
introduced in the House following the
hearings He expressed the hope
that it could be acted upon favorably
before the close Of the present ses-
sion Of Congress.
Now is the time TO put through
this legislation, which has been
recommended by the President and by
the United States Coal Commission"
said Mr. Parker. After a bill has
been drafted l will press for action
on it."
Senator Borah Of Idaho. chairman
of the Senate subcommittee, also eX-
pressed the hope that effective legis-
latinn might be brought about at the
present session.
Members of Congress who have
urged the necessity of legislation TO
prevent a constant recurrence of
coal strikes viii be heard first by the
House committee. Mr.. Parker said.
They will be followed by representa-
tiNeS Of the mine owners and oper-
ators. by mine workers and by repre-
sentatives of the consumers.
Will Follow Recommendations.
The bill which will he framed and
introduced in the House by Mr..
Parker and his colleagues will seek
10 accomplish both a mea surable
regulation Of the coal entering inter
state commerce during normal times
and an adequate system to meet
emergencies arising out of sus
pension of coal mining.
The bill first Of all will provide
for adequate collection of facts re-
lating TO the coal industry by the
Government and it's publication in
such form as will enable the public
to know the situation existing in re-
gard to coal, including the costs Of
production, transportation. sale and
the business of the prices demanded.
The measure will follow closely
thA recommendatio made by the
United States Coal Commission,
which called for such publicity re-
garding the industry and also rec
commended the enactment of legiS-
iation providing for a Federal license
to ship or sell coal in interstate COM
merce and the creation of coal
division in tNe Interstate Commerce
Commission. rather than the crea
ton Of a new agency to take part in
the regulation or control Of coal
entering into interstate commerce.
Emergency Issue Difficult.
The emergency provisions of the
bill, designed to meet coal strikes and
locKouts which threaten the people
with fuel famine and suffering, are
proving the hardest problem of all,
both for the House committee and for
the Senate subcommittee.
The production of coal from the
mines is distinctly an intra-state mat
ter. even though the coal afterwards
goes into interstate commerce. it is
held. The difficulty. therefore. is to
find some means whereby the Gov
ernment may act in the interests of
the people, If coal mining shuts down.
Senator Borah some time ago in
troduced bill declaring coal a neces-
sity and clothing it with public inter
est by law. 1t is his opinion that
such a course is essential if there is
To he effective legislation authorizing
the Federal Governnkent to deal with
the situation arising nut Of the sus-
pension of coal mining.
The United States Coal Commits
sion, headed by John Hays Ham
mond, in its report on the anthracite
industry, July 5. 1928. said with
reference to the suspension of min
1l,. 4 l., \