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July 27, 1918 RECORD AND GUIDE 89 Government Moves To Insure Coal Supplies Harbor Facilities Surveyed, State Fuel Administrator Appointed and Supervision of Mines Instituted T HREE acts of the Federal Government have paved the way for the intelligent and, it is hoped, suc- cessful handling of New.York's coal supply dur- ing the coming winter. The first of these is the survey of the dock and terminal facilities of the port by the Federal Fuel Ad- ministration, Dr. Harry A. Garfield, which was made early in the week. The second is the appointment of D. W. Cooke, Vice- President of the Erie Railroad and chairman of the Traffic Executives of the Allies, as State Fuel Admin- istrator, to succeed A. FI. Wiggin, resigned, with Charles E. Robertson and Reeves Schley, as assistants. And the third move is the taking over of the super- vision and control of labor conditions in the coal fields as a war measure by Dr. Garfield on behalf of the Federal Fuel Administration. His action followed an agreement between himself and Secretary of Labor Wilson. The Bureau of Labor of the Fucl Administration was created by Dr. Garfield immediately after the agree- ment was entered into. Rembrandt Peale, a coal man of New York City, and John P. White, former president of the United Mine Workers of America, were chosen as heads of the new bureau. The purpose of the ar- rangement is to put an end to labor unrest and disturb- ance in the coal fields and increase the output of the mines to the highest possible point. Conferences were held by Dr. Garfield with Frank J. Hayes, president, and other officials of the United Mine Workers of America before the agreement was reached and a statement of priiiciples arranged. The chief points in the agreement which will govern work in the mines are: That no strike shall take place pending the settle- ment of any controversy until the dispute has been re- viewed and decided by him and that recognition of the unions shall not be exacted during the continuance of the war except where now recognized by collective bar- gaining. That where, by joint contract between employer and employed, machinery is provided for the settlement of controversies the United States Fuel Administrator shall not be required to intervene or to mediate until such means have been invoked and the remedy ex- hausted without reaching adjustment. That the United States Fuel Administrator will con- tinue to insist that any adjustment of the labor ques- tions in the coal mining industry, whether by joint agreement between operators and mine workers or by agreements severally made with the United States Fuel Administrator, shall embody wherever applicable the principles laid down in the Maryland and Upper Poto- mac settlement of May 6, 1918, and recognizes the authority of the International Union of Mine Workers in the organized ficlds and thcir jurisdiction over con- troversies arising in said fields. That employers will bc required to relinquish the right to discharge employees because of affiliation with labor unions. That employers will be required to recognize the right of their employees to organize by peaceful methods that do not interrupt production. That where the union shop now exists the same shall continue and where union and non-union men work to- gether the continuance of such conditions shall not be deemed a grievance. The priuciples set forth for recognition of basic working days and the protection of union and non- union miners are the same as were announced by Presi-. dent Wilson in his labor proclamation of April 8 in creating the War Labor Board. The new bureau is an initial step toward granting priority distribution of labor to coal mines under the plan which will be in operation by the War Labor Ad- ministration on August 1. Railroads, shipyards, muni- tion plants and certain lines of agriculture are expected to share with coal mines in the allotment of the com- mon labor supply of the country. The new bureau will have as one of its tasks prevent- ing the spread of the epidemic of strikes to the coal fields. So that he might with an understanding of local conditions formula-te plans for coal transportation and storage which wiU prevent a repetition of last winter's fuel shortage in the metropolis, Dr. Harry A. Garfield. United States Fuel Administrator, made an inspection of the harbor and its coal handling facilities, Alfred H. Smith, Eastern Director of Railroads, took personal charge of the party, which was made up of over a score of the leading officials of both the Fuel and Railroad administrations, including C. H. Markum, Railway Director of the Allegheny region, with head- quarters in Philadelphia. The party was taken in a tug to the big coal terminal at Underclift'. Then it skirted the coal terminals along the Jersey shore as far as Bayonne. The officials were taken through the KiII von KuII and the Arthur KiIIs, inspecting all the points where the coal roads make de- liveries at tidewater, including Elizabeth, Perth Amboy and South Amboy. From the latter point the party passed through Rari- tan Bay, circling Staten Island by the Narrows to St. George, where are the Baltimore and Ohio coal ter- minals. The tug then went up the East River and landed its passengers. Mr. Smith explained to Dr. Garfield the problems in the handling of coal for bunkering large numbers of ocean steamships and for supplying the needs of the metropolis. Dr. Garfield went into the matter in great detail and the discussion with the coal e.xperts in the party was continuous and covered a wide range. In addition to Dr. Garfield and Mr. Smith, the party included: Remljrandt Peale, bituminous adviser; F. M. Whitaker, manager of inland traffic; G. M. Snider, transportation adviser; J. D. A. Morrow, general di- rector of distribution ; S. L. Yerkes, assistant director of distribution ; H. A. Cochran, manager of tidewater distribution; A. S. Learoid, director of anthracite; J. W. Searles, manager of the tidewater exchangc; An- drew K. Morris, director of docks; J. E. Persons, man- agers of steamship fuel for New York harbor; Joseph B. Dickson, chairman of the anthracite committee of Philadelphia; J; P. Cameron, fiscal representative of Pennsylvania. Others in the party vvere: C. H. Markum of Philadel- phia; D. W. Cooke, vice-president, Erie Railroad; George D. Coburn, chairman freight traffic committee; North Atlantic ports ; Walter B. PoIIock, deputy rtiarine {Continticd on page 91)