AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1922, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

&USTKAUAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. COMPROMISE PROPOSAL. NEW YORK, August 18. j There was on Thursday an all-day session of a conference between representa. fives of the railway company executives and the big railway men’s Brotherhood unions. Following on the session i. was indicated that a compromise settlement would be reached. The conference has adjourned till next week. The Brotherhoods will, in the meanwhile, submit the terms proposed to the shopment. ; it is learned that the Now York railroad conference compromise provides that their seniority will Ire restored to the strikers, without affecting the right of the new employees who are now hired for the stiikers’ places.

I U.S.A. COAL STRIKE. NEW YORK, August 19. I At Philadelphia, there has been a conference of the Anthracite Coal Company operators and the strikers leaders. It was adjourned, without any decision being reached. This conference will resume on Saturday. i WASHINGTON, August 19. Indiana mine operators have signed, at Cleveland, an agreement with the mine owners to provide 3,000,000 ' tons of coal annually.

U.S.A. MERCHANT FLEET. NEW YORK, August 19. At Wijliamstown, in Massachusetts, Admiral Rogers. Chairman of the United States General Naval Board Executive stated they had made all material sacrifices of strength at th 0 Washingon Conference. The British fleet, in merchant marine, remains unapproachable. The naval combnt strength exists chiefly, if not solely, to back ocean commerce.. Until the United States has its own merchant fleet, and is without fear or reliance on foreign shipping, the British position on the high sens will be unrivalled in peace or war.

THE HERRIN FIGHT. NEW YORK, August 18. At Marion, in Illinois, a grand jury lias been summoned for August 28 to hear evidence regarding the Herrin massacre.

PRESIDENT ON STRIKE CRISIS. WASHINGTON. Aug 18. President Harding, ih hi s address on tile strike tfi Cotigress, outlined his Administration’s efforts to settle the coal and railway strikes. He declared that he would use all the power of the Government to maintain transportation and sustain the tight of the men to work.

The •President recommended tile immediate provision of u temporary national coal agency, with the needed capital, to purchase, to sell, and to distribute coal. Thp President suggested that the Railway Labour Board should be given the power to enforce its decrees against both Labour and Capital. He did not intend, he said,to ask Congress to change the laws at present No hasty action, be said, would contribute towards a solution of the present critical situation.

The President declared that the existing laws were sufficient to end the prevailing disputes. They would be invoked against all offenders alike. The President said be emphatically disapproved of the apparent move on the part of some classes of industry to destroy the Labour unions.

The President asserted that it was in the public interest to preserve and to profit by tbe go«xl that exists in the Labour unions;

The President bitterly denounced as butchery the recent fracas ill Herrin, neat Chicago, and other outbreaks of violence, declaring that whatever sneri lice might be necessary to attain it, government hv law must lie sustained.

He asked for the speedy enactment of a law giving the Federal Government the power to deal with situations like this Herrin massacre. He also asked for a Bill for the better protection of aliens in U.S.A. mid for tbe enforcement of their treaty rights.

He said: “Alv renewal of this oftmade recommendation is impelled by a pitiable sense of Federal impotence to deal with the shocking crime at Herrin, which has shamed and horrified the country. In that butchery, human beings wrought in madness it is alleged that two aliens were murdered. This act adds to tile outraged sense of American justice the humiliation of which lies on tbe Federal Government in its lack of authority to punish unutterable crime.” Referring to the coal situation. President Harding raid: —

The simple, but significent, truth is that, except for such coal as comes f;cm the districts that are worked by the non-organised miner, the country is at the mercy of tile United Aline Workers.

The President i-equested authority to create a Coal Commission to investigate tlie whole coal industry, with authority to reveal every phase of eoal produetion, sale, and distribution. This would lie necessary, if another strike next April wore to be avoided. '