The history of the coal mining In
dustry In this country demonstrates
very clearly to my mind the utter
futility of attempting to Insure an
uninterrupted and satisfactory coal
supply by depending upon such scat
tered government agencies as now
"I have Introduced a bill for the
creation of a department of mines,
which has been referred to this com
mittee, and Into which can be In
corporated the provisions neoessary
for adequately dealing! with the
problems of production, transporta
tion, marketing, storage and con
sumption In connection with the coal
mining Industry.
“Another phase of ths question,
which, in my opinion, deserves most
careful consideration, is that ot
pure fuel. In the metal mining indus
try, processes have been In use for
many years which reparate the pure
metal from the ore and other foreign
substances before the metal la mar
keted. The facilities to be provided
bv the government for fuel study
and research will without dovbt
show that similar processes can he
developed and practically applied to
' Efforts toward economies In fuel
combustion have been made by the
larger users of coal In the Indus
trial field, but the great army or
household consumers would greatly
benefit bv the results to be obtained
through a coal bureau in a depart
ment of mines. Producers and con
sumers should begin to think of fuel
costs in terms of heat units.
Senator Oddie declared that tht
ft el report of the coal commission,
from which he quoted excerpts, show
ed the need of a central government
agency to supervise the co4';tra*
industry. Among the excerpts v ere
th"We1 'l°oolrforward to the working
out under federal supervision of a
national coal policy commensurate
with the importance of the coal in
dustry..
