The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-07-20
Senate Group To
Survey Coal, Other
Fuel Industries


hearing on five bills July 13, the
Senate Interior and Insular Affairs
Committee was expected to recon-
mend immediate steps toward stab
ilizing the coal industry and assur-
ing adequate supplies of coal and
other energy-yielding materials.
Best bet was that the committee
would urge swift action on a reso-
luton along the line of one Offered
by Sen. Francis Myers Cd, Pa.).
In addition, long-range measures
suggested by Sen. Joseph O'Ma-
honey Cd, Wyo.) and Hubert
Humphrey Cd, Minn.) might also
receive serious consideration.
The Myers proposal calls for the
Interior Committee to make a COM
plete survey of the coal and other
energy industries, determine the
extent of our fuel reserves and
formulate a national policy to meet
the country's needs in peace or
war.
The Humphrey and O'Mahoney
proposals call for action by both
houses of Congress to set up bi-
partisan commissions to survey the
coal industry.
Testifying July 13 in support OF
his own measure, Myers pointed
out that its chief virtue was that
it could be put into operation
speedily while the other measures
might encounter delays. He said
the committee could set up an adj
visory council which would resem-
BILE a commission.
Proposals to survey coal were
first made last spring after the 10
month 1949-50 coal dispute in
which the United Mine Workers
staged a series of strikes and
three-day weeks to win wage in
crease and other benefits. At that
time it was pointed out that coal
was a sick industry. Sen. Hump
hrey, speaking for himself and
three other Senators, proposed an
18-man bipartisan commission to
investigate all aspects of coal. Sen.
O'Mahoney, chairman of the Inter
ior Committee, called for nine
man commission recommended by
President Truman. Sen. Harley
Kilgore Cd, w. Va.) introduced
measure to conserve coal re-
sources and regulate mining and
distribution. Sen. Pat McCarran
asked that the Reconstruction Fin
ance Corporation be authorized to
lend money for synthetic liquid
fuel plants.
At the July 13 hearing support
began to crystalline for the Myers
bill, although Humphrey urged
that commission could best deal
with the problems long range as
poets even though the Myers mea-
sure was adopted. Sen. Wayne
Morse OR, Ore.), one of the spon-
sors of the Humphrey proposal,
spoke for the Myers bill, saying
that in the light of the world crisis
this country should have accurate
knowledge Of the fuel resources of
the entire western hemisphere.
Forestalling any attempt to blame
the United Mine Workers for the
state of the coal industry, Myers
himself pointed out that labor
trouble in coal was a symptom not
a cause of the industry's sickness,
that productivity had increased
since the industry was organized.
Secretary of the Interior Oscar
Chapman endorsed both the Myers
bill and the proposals for a COM
mission. He cited figures to show
how the coal industry had declin-
ed in relation to competing indus
tries as gas and oil. He said coal
provided 1872 percent of the ma
tion's energy in 1920, only 1913
percent in 1949. But the coal in
dustry must be maintained, he said,
because coal reserves are greaterI
than all other energy reserves
combined except water power.
He indicated that new ways of
using coal were being developed
which Nigh keep the industry go
ing. Moreover, he emphasized, mol
fuel inquiry should be limited to