Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-02
SENATE AGREES
TO PROBE COAL.
STRIKE, in PENN.

S@&@H~~1N 80
WASHINGTON Feb. / (P)-Sup-
port for thorough investigation into
the suspension of mining in the BIZ
luminous coal fields of Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia was promised
from both sides of the senate today
as Senator Johnson, republican, Cali
fornia, demanded early action on his
resolution proposing an inquiry.
In two-hour speech, the California
senator pictured conditions in the
Pennsylvania fields as bloody war
fare" He charged conspiracy by
the coal operatros and railroads to
break the miners union; read a let
ter from Secretary Davis of the labor
department. operators for the failure
of government negotiations to end the
strike; and finally read letter from
Clifford Pinchot former governor Of
Pennsylvania, charging the abuse Of
the police power of Pennsylvania in
behalf of private interests.
AS johnson concluded, Senator Reed,
republican, Pennsylvania, promised
support for his proposed inquiry. He
asked for relief in the situation in the
coal fields, but he. urged that the
senate mot jump at conclusions about
causes"
The resolution of Senator Johnson
is now before the interstate commerce
,committee for preliminary considera-
ton and Chairman Watson has indi-
Gated the committee would hold ex-
tensive hearings on it, beginning prob
ably next week.
The senate debate brought in Sena-
tor Copeland, demA9rat, New York,
who also urged an inquiry and sug-
gested that President Coolidge appoint
a commission, including perhaps
Charles Evans Hughes and Newton d.
Baker to make a study of conditions.
This got a quick reply from Senator
Nicely, democrat, West Virginia, who
gave notice that his state would sub
NIT to no rncre regusayions of its
mines.
Replying to charges of Mr.. Pinchot
about the abuse of the state police pow
er, Senator Reed said that governor
Fisher OF, Pennsylvania was investigat-
ing this phase Of the situation. When
Senator Johnson explained that he un-
derstood the charges were against the
''coal and iron police" the Pennsylvan-
ian answered that such police were all
over the world and he mentioned the
railroad police.
Senator Copeland contended the
whole trouble lay in the fact that there
was a surplus Of 250,000 miners in this
country as we'll as surplus of coal,
but, in reply to Senator Nicely, he had
no solution to propose.
Declaring that the present horrible
conditions had their inception in a
conspiracy between railroad companies
and coal operators" Senator johnson
quoted the letter sent to him yesterday
by Secretary Davis. 1t read in part as
follows: ~ oftss ,,sftsi.. Ae,s,s.
eve in the department diligently
sought some method by which this
strike might be settled, but the failure
OF the great bulk of the operators or
of any of the operators association
officials to attend made it impossible
to make any real progress toward the
solution of the problem separating the,
mine workers and operators in these
districts"
aLCbUClo 1IOI1A Va lOAAC I Will
sylvania bituminous districts, read byl
Senator Johnson, told of the hardships
by the miners. Mr.. Pinchot
in his letter attributed "a large per-
centage" of evictions in the districts
to the Pittsburgh Coal company which,
he said, is controlled by the MELONS. !" (
..In Pennsylvania today" Senator
johnson continued, "there are sociall
revolution and economic warfare.
Worse, far worse, in that great COM
are all the dark evils Of
bloody warfare sickness, suffering,
hardship, privation, want and hunger;
and the ever attendant infamies of
wrong, oppression and Tyranny"
Senator Walsh, democrat, Mass
achusetts, terminated the debate by,
asking. the republicans to explain what
is prosperous, recalling the
oleas in the senate for farm relief,
hip relief and now for coal relief.