AMERICAN STRIKES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11302, 30 August 1922, Page 6

AMERICAN STRIKES

GOVERNMENT’S PLANS CONCENTRATING ON REMOVAL OF COAL. ANTI-PROFITEERING MEASURES. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian aid N.Z. Cable Association* NEW YORK, August 29. The “New York Times’’ Washington correspondent states that following a week-end conference between President Harding, Cabinet officers and the Senate it is understood that* the Administration has abandoned the plan to obtain legislation authorising the Government to take over the mines and railroads, and instead contemplates other action without legislative authority. Mail trains and passenger services, if necessity arises, will be curtailed, and the whole rail transportation’facilities will be concentrated on moving coal. The Inter-State Commerce Commission will prevent profiteering by refusing to allocate trains to haul coal from the mines charging exorbitant prices. ■WASHINGTON, August 28, The Senate Committee has favourably reported on Senator Cummins’s Bill, creating a Federal fuel distribution agency to supervise the movement of all coal throughout the country. THE FORD WORKS MOTOR MAGNATE MAKES GRAVE ASSERTION. NEW YORK, August 28. It is stated that Mr Ford’s decision to close his various plants on Septem ber 16th, will make idle 500,000 people, on whom 3,000,000 others are dependent. Mr Ford declares that the light constitutes a conspiracy to unload the railroad systems upon the Government at the railroads’ own prices, and also to secure from the people excessive coal prioes. Mr Samuel Gompers, president of the Federation of Labour,' makes a similar charge. TRAIN WRECKERS FOUR UNIONISTS ARRESTED. SMALL BAND OF RADICALS BLAMED. CHICAGO, August 28. Four members of the Shopcraft Union have been arrested on a charge of wrecking the Michigan Central train. The police state *~,ut one mam confessed that they pulled up the spikes for the deliberate purpose of killing the driver and the fireman. The man also revealed plans to bomb the shops and the sleeping quarters of non-union men, and to wreck the New York Central train. The accused absolved the union from blame, stating that violence was fostered by a small band of radicals, who are actively spreading Bolshevik theories. A wreck on the Michigan Central Railroad, which officials declared was due to the withdrawal of spikes, permitting the rails to spread, resulted in the death of two men and serious injuries to two others, and the demolition of a baggage train. A reward of 1000 dollars was offered for the capture of the wreckers.