Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04
HOOVER MAY STATE
u. S. COAL POLICY.
Secretary to Deliver Address
at Peace Conference in
Anthracite Region.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Herbert Hoover, official engage
ments permitting. has promised to at
tend an anthracite peace conference
in central Pennsylvania on November
and deliver an address possibly
destined to have far-reaching conse
quences for the coal industry. The
conference has been called by the
Chamber of Commerce of Mount Car
mel. Pa, and associated civic bodies
1t will be attended by miners, mine
union leaders, operators and represen
tatives of the consuming public from
all the anthracite towns. In addition
to Secretary Hoover, an important
participant will be Richard F. Grant
Cleveland coal and iron magnate, who
is the man that settled the great an.
thracite strike of 1925-1926. Mr.. Grant
who now heads the vast Mark Hanna
industrial interests in Ohio, also is
expected to make keynote pro-
nouncement at Mount Carmel.
The proposed conference has several
basic purposes in view. One of the
principal objects, from the standpoint
Of the inhabitants of the hardcoal
area, is to evolve ways and means for
restoring to anthracite some of the
valuable markets it lost during the
prolonged strike of two years ago.
Consumers throughout the country,
long dependent upon anthracite
learned during the strike to use a
variety of fuel substitutes. Oil, gas,
coke and bituminous coal are today
burned in household and foundry,
where anthracite previously was EN-.
ployed exclusively, and experience in
many cases has been such that hard.
coal never again will resume it's old
place of primacy. At Mount Carmel
the promoters Of the November con-
ference speak Of "the anthracite
spirit" which they hope will once
again prevail and go far toward effect
ing a comeback for hard coal.
Still Seek "Check.Of."
The anthracite region is no less con.
cerned with measures for establishing
something approaching durable peace
In the anthracite industry. The So
called Grant agreement" which end.
ed the latest strike, is responsible for
externally amicable conditions be-
tween miners and operators. But the
mems failure to obtain the "check. off ~
stu rankles, and leaders Of the United
Mine " 'rkers of America have by no
means = >andoned their determination
yet to achieve 1t. Authorities refiec.
tive or sentiment in operators quar-
tiers are at this time limiting that John
l.. Lewis, president Of the mine work.
ers, is considering the calling of gen.
eral strike of bituminous miners later
this year. Such a conflict, it is feared,
could easily embroil the anthracite
miners. The CHECK off," denied them
in the Grant agreement, ostensibly
would be the mems new battle cry.
Anthracite production, due to dis.
turbed conditions In the labor field and
to popularizing of substitutes for hard
coal, has slumped and fiuctuated
heavily since the war. In 1921 90,473,.
451 net tons Of anthracite were pro-
duced. In 1922. strike year, produc.
ton fell to 54,6S3,002 tons. 1t rose
in 1928 to $685., O09 tons, but in 1925,
the first year Of the recent srtike,
production tumbled to 61,817,149 tons.
There was recovery last year, when
84,437 900 tons were produced, but this
years prOduction-based on q total of
roundly 100000 for the first six
months Of 1927-will register further
decrease. There are said to be in the
anthracite area at this time some
100000 tons Of prepared" coal in
storage and unsold. 1t is largely of
the pea size and other dimensions
commonly sold for the household
trade.
Hoover Potent Factor.
Secretary Hoover, since the Depart.
ment Of Commerce some time ago
was assigned the supervision of the
Bureau of Mines, has become a pc.
tent factor in the coal industry. His
interest in it has naturally been ac-
tive because of his post in the cabi.
net. At the time of the famous Jack.
sonville bituminous agreement. the
operators, who emerged therefrom
less advantageously than they hoped.
credited Hoover with the substantial
benefits which the miners obtained on
that occasion. The Jacksonville
agreement, signed in 1924. runs out
this year. Z
In the Spring of 1925, when Con-
gress was considering the Parker bill
for Federal regulation of the coal in
dustry, Secretary Hoover appeared be-
fore the House committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce. The
anthracite peace had been brought
about just a few months previous.
Addressing the committee. Hoover
said:
1.-THE anthracite industry has taken
the first steps Of substantial peace in
the industry over term Of years.
Our major interest must be in the
bituminous industry. If the unioniZed
section of that industry could set up
its own mediation board in the same
terms as the anthracite industry, I
believe Congress would be we'll justi.
fed In suspending any legislative
action"
Between the lines of that state
ment some observers in the coal field
read readiness on Secretary
Hoover's part to advocate, in the gen.
eral public interest, permanent Fed
eral measures for preserving the
country from the recurring perils of
conflict between capital and labor in
the fuel industry.
Copyright. 1927