Evening star., 1926-05-12
COPELAND REPORTS
FEDERAL COAL BILL.
Senate Measure Gives Wide
Powers to President in
Event of Emergencies.

Machinery for dealing with future
coal emergencies is provided in bill
favorably reported to the Senate today
by Senator Copeland Of New York
from the committee on education and
labor, a subcommittee OF which made
IL careful study Of the problem fol-
lowing the recent anthracite strike.
The measure would accomplish the
following things:
Authorize the Bureau Of Mines OF
the Department Of Commerce TO es-
tablish and operate a fact-fnding bu-
reau to collect all possible data re-
lating to the production, distribution
and sale OF coal.
Mediating OF Disputes.
Authorize the President to employ
officers or existing agencies Of concilia-
ton TO mediate disputes when the
parties are unable TO agree directly.
The Chief Executive also would be
authorized to endeavor TO have the
disputants submit TO voluntary arbi-
tration. This portion Of the bill is
modelled somewhat along the lines OF
the railroad labor bill just passed by
Congress.
Should all such efforts fail. the
President would be empowered TO
create an emergency coal board
which would be required to report
within 80 days whether or not ii be-
lieves the public was likely to be
deprived Of an adequate supply OF
fuel or whether Interstate shipment
Of fuel was about to be seriously in
terrupted.
should the emergency board reach
such conclusions. the President woulo
be authorized to proclaim the existence
of an emergency threatening 10 impair
the health, safety and welfare Of the
people.
Reyises Law Of 1922.
The declaring of such en- emergency
would authorize the President TO revive
the law of September, 1922, IAN act
10 declare @ national emergency to
exist in the production, transportation
and distribution OF coal and other fuel.
gra nting additional powers to the
United states Commission, providing
for the appointment of e. Federal flel
distributor, for the declaration OF car
service priorities during the emerg-
ency and to prevent the sale OF fuel at
unjust and unreasonably high prices.
These powers to deal with the coal
problem, the committee reported.
would continue and remain within the
discretion of the President unless
Congress should provide otherwise.
The committee states in its report
that the proposal originally contained
in the bill which would have author
lied the President to take over and
operate coal mines, was considered
unwise, and eliminated from the
measure now recommended. Discuss
ing the striking out Of this feature.
the report says:
THE aim OF the proposal was to
make provision for an adequate
supply Of fuel at reasonable prices.
and TO get 1t by this unusual method
If it could be had in no other
way. It need not be pointed out that
grave constitutional questions are in
volved in this suggestion. No one
can doubt that in extreme emerg-
encies it might become necessary to
face the legal issues involved in
such an act. 1t was the opinion of
the majority of the committee, how
ever, that no good end could be served
by forcing such issues in the absence
Of Immediate necessity.
"1n all human probability, IL the
people Of the United States should
have forced upon the country a con-
dition SO critical as the menace Of a
coal famine, the Congress would be
convened. In the face of dire neces-
sity, 1t would not take long to pass
the laws essential to seizure Of the
mines for operation during the
emergency. On this account, there
seems no present reason to precipitate
a debate on 81 measure 50 advanced
as this
The committee included in its report
an excerpt from the statement Of Pres.
ident Coolidge last year, in which he
urged upon Congress the need for
coal legislation. The report also con.
tains the recommendations Of the
United States Coal Commission of
1928.