Evening star., 1926-04-11
DEFINITE COAL ACTION
MAY FOLLOW HEARINGS
First Attempt in Years to Get at Base
of Industry Expected to
Bear Fruit.

it was that the cost to the consumer
could not and would not be increased
The fact that they are recouping their
losses at the rate of 100000 per day
is a direct challenge to Congress and
shows their failure to comprehend
to the limit of their constitutions
| rights
Direct Challenge Seen.
Mr.. Fish also sees the present coal
situation as q direct challenge to the
legislative body and warned the COM
mittee that If something is not done
at the present session the responsible
| ity will lie solely with Congress. Mr..
Fish called the coal problem the big
gest single issue before Congress,
| placing it even before the Mellon tax
| reduction plan in importance. Indeed
he characterized the issue as the
most important question in America
today" He commended the commit
| tee for it's courage" in initiating
hearings on coal legislation in the
| face of a powerful lobby which he
| declared constitutes the invisible
! Government" of the United States.
Mr.. Jacobstein would set up an in.
dependent Government establishment
to be known as the Bureau of Coal
Industry, and would authorize the
President to create an emergency coal
board. He would go further than that,
however. and would empower the
Chief Executive to take over and oper-
ate, directly or by lease, any or all
coal properties in such manner as may
be needful or desirable to provide for
production and distribution at a rea.
sonable price.
Mr.. Mead said the people of New
York State had suffered tremen-
dously during the recent strike, and
asked the committee whether it would
now prefer to tell the people in time
of strike, I've have no coal, but we
can give you a nice report in a week. u
With such expressions before it, the
committee cannot doubt the sincerity
of Congress to enact some kind of coal
| legislation, or at least to make q start
that will insure passage of relief
| measure early in the next session
Indeed, Mr.. Jacobstein warned the
committee that he looked for a strike
in the bituminous fields on the eX-
piration of the present bituminous
agreement. March 81. 1927. unless
Congress acts to prevent a shutdown
, of the mines.
Constructive Results Expected.
in bituminous, overstocking of man.
power, cutthroat competition, wagon
mine operation. the cheCk-off, com
pulSory arbitration. absentee owner
shin. and other vital factors in Ameri
cas- most veXed industry have either
been already brought out or will be
presented to the committee before it
rolls up it's collective sleeves and gets
to work to write a bill.
Whether or not the present hear
ings result in anything constructive,
and there is no doubt they will, in the
view Of those who have followed
them, they are awakening the in
dustry to the fact that Congress is
determined to find out why the Amer
lean people have to pay the cost of
coal strikes, why they occur so often
and why coal costs SO much more
now than it did 10 years ago. even
though wages have not increased in
a commensurate way.
When the committee does write
bill it is certain it will be constitu-
tionally correct, for Is Of the COM
mittee members are attorneys. The
committee is composed of Repre-
sentative James S. Parker, New York
chairman; Representatives John G.
Cooper, Ohio; Edward z. Denison,
Illinois; Schuyler Merritt, Connect
cut; Carl E. Mapes, Michigan: Wal.
ter H. Newton, Michigan; Homer Hoch,
Kansas: Adam NJ. Wyant, Penn
sylvania: Olger B. Burtness, North
Dakota: John f. Nelson, Maine; John
d. Fredericks, California: T. j. B.
Robinson, Iowa: Thomas w. Phillips,
ir.. Pennsylvania; NJ. c.. CARRIER, Okla.
homa: Alben w. Barkley, Kentucky;
Sam Rayburn. Texas; George Hud-
dleston, Alabama: Clarence F. Lea
California; Harry B. Hawes, Missouri;
Tilman Is. Parks, Arkansas; Robert
Crosser, Ohio; Ashton c. Shallen-
berger. Nebraska, and Parker Corn
ing, New York.
Mr.. Wyant, Mr.. Phillips and Mr.
Huddleston are all thoroughly versed
in technical manner in coal.