Evening star., 1928-03-01
Views of Senate Mine Probe
Held Tinged With Pessimism

Surveying ineffective attempts In the
past TO cure the ills of the bituminous
coal industry, the public gives evidence
Of willingness to applaud results
which may be achieved by the investi-
CATION recently undertaken by the
United States Senate. though many OBJ
servers are frankly pessimistic.
There Is significance in the fact that
no voice was raised in the Senate Of
the United States against an investiga-
ton Of conditions In the soft coal fields.
where the strike Is in progress" de-
clares the Boston Transcript. which di-
rects attention to the fact that "it came
before the Senate at time when pro-
test was widespread against the sena-
torial propensity for plunging into in
vestigations."
THE general welcome" In the Pitts
burgh district to the Senate investiga-
tors Is interpreted by the Pittsburgh
st-Gazette as ''emphasizing the seri-
BUSINESS OF the plight into which the
bituminous industry has fallen and the
eagerness for light that may show the
solution" That paper adds: THE
public earnestly hopes that this inquiry
will prove to be more than merely an
other investigation reporting. but
bringing no action. 1t Is felt that Con-
gress can do something TO put the in
dustry upon a better basis. II 1t can,
1t Lis high time for such action"
THE power OF the Federal Govern
nlent Is to be employed. perhaps" says
the Portland Oregon Journal. ito
bring order out OF chaos. And while
the Government Is working In this par
ticular instance, 1t would be well for
Congress to give executive officers some
power to regulate the coal industry. an
action that has been recommended by
commission after commission which has
investigated the coal industry. and by
the President OF the United States, after
experiencing futility In dealing with
coal strikes under present conditions"
Can anything Justify what IN said to
be going on In the soft coal fields. where
this bitter fight is raging?" asks the
Duluth Herald. "A hundred thousand
miners families are living on an allow
ance OF So week or less from the union
treasury. In Pittsburgh. the center Of
the contest the allowance is a dollar a
head for adults and 35 cents for chill
dren~~$3.0b for family OF five." The
Rochester Times-u Union comments on
want and misery for the families Of
the miners. near bankruptcy for many
OF the operators, an excessive number
OF mines and miners. eviction Of fam
iiies from their homes In MidWinter----
these are conditions" says the H0ches-
ter paper. totally unsatisfactory In any
industry, and especially IN one which
lies at the very foundation OF our In
duStrial and business structure"
"As To the strike" In the opinion OF
the Harrisburg Telegraph. the thing
TO he determined there Is whether there
Is truth III the often-repeated charges
that operators have been cruel In their
treatment Of helpless women and chill
dren and public officials neglectful OF
their duties In the dispensing of even
handed Justice. After all people az u
whole are more Interested In the hui
manitariun feature Of the mine situa-
ton than III It's economic phase. tmpor~
| tant an that is t0 the prosperity OF the
State at large"
The hope that the investigation will
"hnsten the urgently needed reoIganiza-
| tion 0f the dcmoraltzcd bituminois coal
industry" IL expressed by the Chicago
Daily News. The industry IN the NIL
| Walikee journal nees IL, has demon
htrated utter impotence To cure itself
from within" and the uniontown Her
! aid enumeratcs AS the desired results,
| rehabilitation Of II proatrated industry.
rehabilitation of productive miues, op-
portunity for fair pront 10 operative
enterprises, steady operation and EN-
piOyment, and. above all, wage rate
a0nsonant with American standards of
living"
y
"The situation, from u political stand
point. han dynamite In IT," nusgests the
Scranton Times, and the sioux CITY
Tribune goes further with the statement
that agitation IN favor Of getting this
| inveaLiaati0n under way indicated that
imininence ot All eisntion might have
inspired some Ut that interest" The
Rock Island Argus, however. insiata that
what tho public wants is 4 recital ot