Evening star., 1933-10-10
N. R. A. Officials Pin Faith in
Conference of Miners y
and Operators.
EVERY AGENCY MUSTERED
TO BRING SETTLEMENT
Retail Codes Being Rushed as
"Buy Now" Movement Gets
Under Way.
BY the Associated Press.

Negotiations scheduled between soft
coal miners and operators were viewed
by N. R. A. officials today as foretelling
a possible settlement Of Pennsylvania
strike difficulties.
Hugh S. johnson regarded the con-
ference to be held between officials of
the United Mine Workers Of America
and Thomas Moses. president Of the H.
G. Frick Coke Co., as the natural con-
sequence Of Saturdays White House
meeting with the steel interests which
own the captive" mines.
When operators and miners failed to
get together yesterday, johnson tele-
phoned steel leaders in New York where
Moses was confeTing. A few hours
later. Moses notified Philip Murray, vice
president of the mine workers, that he
was ready for a conference.
So important does johnson consider
the coal situation that it has dominated
other N. r. A. activities in recent days.
Tonight the recovery administrator will
have an opportunity to present his
views on the coal strike as well as other
labor problems in an address before the
American Federation of Labors Con-
vention.
Charges to be Probed.
Today the National Labor Board dis
patched Elmer F. Andrews. New YORK
labor commissioner, to the Alabama
coal fields to investigate charges by the
United Mine Workers that miners there
had been discharged for joining the
union.
Andrews has been acting as q coal
investigator for the Recovery Admins
tration throughout the Summer. He
first made a report on the western
Pennsylvania strike, and later inves-t-
gated the situation In Western Ken
lucky.
Andrews said he would leave Wash
ington at 4:45 pm today for Biz
mingham.
Postponement Asked.
While johnson was approaching a
decision on the retail trades code with
its price stabilizing plan, Mrs. Mary
Hartman Rumsey, chairman OF N. r:
AS Consumer Advisory Board. asked
Secretary Of the Interior Ickes to post
pone "any governmental steps toward
price- fixing in the oil industry"
Mrs. Rumsey wrote Ickes that the
petroleum products bill had gone up
$500, 900, 600 annually. while wages IN
the oil industry had increased only
SIPS 100000.
..This means" she said. "that the
recovery program as envisaged when
the recovery act was passed, has been
moving at high speed In reverse so lar
as the oil industry is concerned"
With her goal the end Of profteer1ng
in connection with the recovery cam
paign. Mrs Rumsey also announced the
creation of county consumers counclls
authorized to receive and deal with,
where possible, complaints against fast
rising prices in local stores.
Coincident with the opening yesterday
of the ''buy now" movement, the ap-
pointment Of Paul H. Douglas, profess
sor of economics at the University OF
Chicago. to the Consumers Board was
announced.
DR.. Frank Graham. president OF the
University of North Carolina, also was
asked by johnson to head the new de-
centralized consumer organization. Mrs.
Rumsey also announced formation OF
bureau Of economic information. The
bureau will utilize the recovery commit
tees already established and will have
the cooperation of the Departments OF
Labor, Agriculture and Commerce. and
the Relief Administration. All OF these
have agencies in various communities to
aid in the effort to create new con-
sumption economy. Civic organizations
will be asked to designate members and
to cooperate with the consumers coun-
cilS.
Plan Explained.
"These councils will enable the rural
consumer and the city consumer to dis
cuss their differences and iron out the
minor ones right on the home grounds, y
Mrs Rumsey said. After the COM
plants have been sifted through this
funnel the ones which are broader and
involve national economy will be sent
on to Washington"
Mrs Rumsey said the Bureau OF Eco
nomic Education would gather from ex-
isting agencies such data as the con-
sumer ought to know for his own good
and for the furtherance Of recovery.
THE Government itself has such
agencies-the Bureau of Standards, the
Bureau Of Home Economics, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, and Others" she
said. Scores of experts on consumer
statistics are available.
There has been too little effort to
coordinate them-to bring consumer
economics out of the academic study
and make them applicable in the mar
ket place. That task the Consumers
Advisory Board, through the Bureau of
Economic Education, has set"