Evening star., 1940-04-02

peoples hard luck. They want TO
pay their way as independent citi-
zens, not living on the relief and
charity Of other people or indus
tries.
Acted After Long Study.
To help them do this, Congress
authorized plan of establishing
minimum prices without profit. Con-
gress did not act hastily. For over
Is years it studied and restudied the
problems of the industry. Both
parties have Joined in agreeing that
the industry needed some measure
of governmental aid. In 1923 one
Of our most noted engineers, John
Hays Hammond, was chairman of a
coal commission. He was appointed
by President Harding. He reported
to Congress:
"The Government must go beyond
continuous fact finding and public
ity, important and elementary as
these functions are. - The Gov
ernment can act only through ad-
ministrative agencies and it is clear
that If anything is to be done at all
commensurate with the gravity OF
the problem, an executive agency
with sufficient funds, experience and
power at its disposal must be
charged with the direct responsible
ity for such regulation and SUPER
vision as is necessary. Honest and
efficient coal operators and dealers
have nothing to fear from this. On
the contrary, they have reason to
welcome it."
1t took another great depression
however, before 1t became clear to a
great majority Of Congress that ii
was necessary to establish minimum
prices.
The job Of establishing these
prices is being done in a democratic
and judicial way. The producers
play a large part. They elect dis
trict boards in every coal field
These have important duties and
responsibilities under the law. They
propose prices and try to coordinate
them with the prices of other fields
Labor has representative on each
of these boards. The consumers OF
coal have special attorney-he Is
called director of the Consumers
Counsel Division, and with his staff
devotes himself to their interests
And I might add that he has beer
quite active. The Government, in
the form of the Coal Division. repre-.
sents the interests of the Nation as
whole. The Government acts as
referee when the various district
boards from the Atlantic to the Pa
cif1c Coast cannot agree on the
proper minimum price to propose
to us. There have been many such
disagreements. and the Government
sees to it that the prices are fair and
just and return no more than actual
cost. The interests Of all producers
are not necessarily the same. They
are in competition with each other
and after minimum prices are estab-
lished they will stay in sharp compe-
tition. The various fields, East end
West, North and South, are in COM
petition, too
Democratic and Legalistic.
Not only is the process Of determin-
ing minimum prices democratically
arranged by Congress so that all
parties can take part in the fina,
result, but it is carried out with care
full respect for all the legal require
ments imaginable. In the Coal Act
Congress tried out the idea of putting
into effect all the administrative
checks possible. No decision of any
importance could be arrived at with.
out holding hearings. So hearing.
were held, elaborate evidence wa!
presented. all parties interested were
given a full opportunity to present
evidence and to cross-examine al
Government and other witnesses
After the hearings, findings art
made by trial examiners, lner
learned in the law and the industry
which have to be the subject O.
further hearings. Only then is
decision made.
One result, of course, has been tt
delay the fixing of the minimum
prices until the hearings have beel
completed and all the testimon.
has been studied. You can't hav'
your cake and eat it, too. You can
have careful, thorough. accurat
job done with meticulous respect TO
every detailed legal obligation, sucl
as we have exercised, and also hav
speedy Government action. w
have gone slowly. painstakingly oh
serving all the legal duties. Sine
July "a, 1899, alone we have hear
200 witnesses and SO attorneys. w
have spent 1000 hours Of actua
hearings since them. We hav
studied 1900 exhibits Of figures, a
well as practically all the coal freigh
schedules Of all the railroads. tn
transcript Of the record alone ha
over $4,000 pages. We are not to b
blamed for lack of speed. In settin
up law calling for lengthy hear
ings Congress said, in effect, tha
1t preferred thoroughness and fair