North Carolina Newspapers

i - A DAILY Weather Unsettled TT H Local Cottcn 22 Cents ll ii VOL. XUH. NO. 205 GASTONI A, N. C, MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 28, 1922 SINGLE COPY S CENTS EPVQItTII LEAGUERS OF GREENVILLE ATTACKED BY HOB AT FARMVILLE . Farmville Folks Say, On the , Other Hand, Greenville V Started It. ROTTEN EGGS WERE USED It All Started Over A Game ' Of Baseball Between , the Towns. : Uitt,t,A VlLiiit, Aug. ' JJ7. A group or Ureenvilie children, members of the Junior Epworth League of the Memo ' rial Methodist church, accompanied by three ladies as chaperons, while on an .outing to Farmvillo Thursday evening were, according to the story related by the ladies in charge upon their return attacked on the main street in Farm ville by a mob' consisting of men and boys, and . assaulted with mud, water stones and rotten eggs. The party left Greenville on a truck for a hayride to Farmville where they expected to spread lunch on the high school lawn and enjoy the evening be fore returning home. Boon after the truck entered Farmville, according to the story related upon the return of the party-to Greenville, one of the children made a remark to a passerby in regard to Greenville having defeated Farmville at baseball. The party so hailed is alleged to have answered that the Green ville party had better leave Farmville as ,'" quickly as possible, as nobody from GTecnvilJe was wanted in that town. The chaperons, it is reeordod, then instructed the children to say nothing runner about baseball, and the party proceeded towards their destination at the Farmville high school. The assault followed almost immediately, and before the party could reach the school .. grounds. One of the chaperons is al leged to have descended from the truck and appealed to .the attackers, asking that' thye cease with their assault, as the party attacked were representatives or a Christian organization and were merely taking an outing. She was an swered, so it is stated, that there were no Christians in Greenville, and the at tack, instead of ceasing, grew worse. ine James alleged tnat they were ( notified that if they made any attempt to go back up Mai street in search of help the firs hose would be turned en the truck . She thereupon remounted the track and told the driver to leave - Farmvillo as quickly as possible and by the most available route. It is alleged that the truck was stopped twice by the mob on its way out, and, further, that there were no officers i in sight at any time during the disturbance. FARMVILLE SAYS THAT ; 'j ATTACK WAS PROVOKED FARMVILLE, Aug. 27. A Green ville hay-rjde visited Farmvillo Thurs ' day night; the 'party consisting of men, Women, boys and girls, entered town on a big truck using abusive and. sneering remarks about Farmville, such as "Hob bers," "Thieves," "Yellow," "We won the pennant and Farmville stole it" The party rode all over the town two or three times yelling these - re marks at the top of fheir voices. . If " there were any chaperons with them ho apparent move was made to stop them. Some -of the young boys of the town requested them to stop their yelling or leave town and when this request was refused these young boys followed them over town. The Greenville party per sisted in crying: "Yellow," "You yel low tlogs," "You. stole it and you know it." They then proceeded to leave town, but after going about one 1 block turned tho truck around and came back, and continued to ride around town, yelling as loud as they could. . Mayor's Wife Insulted. : After, this had been kept up for some time, the boys threw bags of water and fresh eggs at the truck, as children will do. , The truck then caino around by the mayor 's home on Contentnea street and the mayor's wife went out and re quested the party to stop their yelling and move on for there was a lady, Mrs. Bundy, just across the corner, at the ' point of death. This request was met by the derisive reply that there would be somebody else dead here in a short while, whereupon the mayor's wife left and went in the house. As she re turned to tho house she picked up her ' lawn hose which was lying near the sidewalk and carried it to the bouse. As she picked up the hose some one of . the Greenville party yelled, ' Turn it on us, you dern yellow dog." The mayor's. wife then went into the house, and phoned the police and the party moved on toward Greenville, using the most vile laugunge ever uttered, which the men and women all along the street heard.' Grown people of Farmville had no part in the affair and do not condone the actions of the young boys who par ticipated in it. But the action of the boys was not voluntary or spontaneous but was provoked by the party of people . from Greenville coming over at the time . when the relations betweenV- the two towns were at a strained point on . ac count of the recent baseball controversy between the two towns, and using abu sive and sneering language to rub it in. If the chaperons- had discouraged or stopped the sneering remarks by the Greenville folks there would have been nothing to the affair. No mention wss made of any Epworth League or church organization. Farmville Suggests Arbitration. Regretting this statement when it came to his notice in the Greenville papers the mayor of Farmville called the mayor of Greenville over the tele phone and told him the article was not true and not according to the facts in the ease and requested him to name an (Continued on page six.) Hickory Grove Man, Lattimore By Name, Killed By Guard In Yards of the Georgia Railroad Dan and Baxley Lattimore Shot and Killed On Railway Trestle Guard Says That One Of, the Two Men Threatened Him Brother From Hickory Grove Was Visiting:. CAMAK, GA., Aug. 28. lJan and Baxley Lattimore, brothers, were shot and instantly killed here just after mid night by W. T. Hall,tguard n the Geor gia Railroad yards. Hall has surrender ed to the uthorities at Warrenton. Sheriff Hogan, who arrived here from Warrenton shortly after the shooting oc curred, said be found a pistol grasped in thevhand of one of the dead men, and that the body was sprawled across the traek.of a trestle near the railway station Hall, acccrding to the sheriff, admits killing the two men, ' ' ' The bodies were found by , Cterung Farr. an enginer watchman, who made an investigation after he heard two shots fired. Farr said the station agent nag ged a freight train due about that time from Macon, and held it up until the sheriff arrived and moved the bodies. The sheriff and coroner from Warren ton are expected here this morning to hold an inquest, null; according to we sheriff, claims that one of the men threatened dim and drew a pistol, where upon be (Hall) fired once at both men. wife and two. small children, lives at Camak. and is A telegraph lineman, while his brother, who was visiting him, is from Hickory Grove, S. C. ANNUAL PYTHIAN PICNIC AT GARRISON PARK THE 30TH Committee In Charge Promises Big Time and No Long Speeches Basket Dinner To Be Served Under Trees Four O'Clock the Hour. Gastonia Lodge No. 53, Knights of Pythias will bold its annual picnic at Garrison Park, west of the city, Wed nesday afternoon beginning at 4 o clock. A basket dinner wjll , be spread, each Pythian having been asked to furnish basket. . The committee will furnish watermelons in abundance . Assurance is given by those in charge that no long speeches will be had. A real good jolly time is promised the Pythians, their wives and sweethearts, all of whom .are urged to attend.' The committee in charge is composed of Ben E. Douglas, chairman; . Emery Denny, W. Grady Gaston, Vw.; L. Pursley ahd B'., G. Cherry. SALVATION ARMY CAPTAIN . TO WED ATLANTA MAN Capt. Lula Whitehouse To Be come Bride Of . Capt. Gus Stephens In Sebring, Fla., September 14 - Will Live In Atlanta. Capt. Lula Whitehouse, for the past thirteen months in charge of the local post of the Salvation Army and whose transfer from Gastonia to Atlanta, Ga., was announced last week, is spending her furlough in Sebring, Fla., where on September 14 she is to be married to Capt.' Gus Stephens, divisional cashier of the Salvation Army with headquar ters at Atlanta. They will make their home in that city. Capt. Whitehouse has many friends here whose best wishes go with her to her new home. Succeeding Capt. Whitehouse here are Capt. and Mrs. James Halliday, who come from Sebring, Fla. They are already here and on the job. The army's public meetings ami other activi ties will continue as in the past. REPUBLICANS NOMINATE A' COUNTY TICKET A. A. Armstrong Is Named To Kun Against G. R. Rhyne C M. Boyd To Oppose J. L. Heal For Commissioner. In convention assembled Saturdav af ternoon in the courthouse, tho Gaston county Republicans put out a county ticaet, ana nominated candidates for the General Assembly: For the office of sheriff, Mr. A. A. Armstrong was named, for Begister of Deeds, Mr. L. J. Waldrop, for Treasurer, W. M. Gavin, of Mt. Holly, for the House, Messrs. J. Alonso Rhyne and Edward Pell, for the Senate, Eli Dickson." C. M. Boyd was nominated- for county commissioner from ' Gastonia township. The meeting was well attended and was thoroughly harmonious. - , COTTON MARKET CLOSING BIDS ON THE NEW YORK MARKET NEW YORK, Aug. 28. Cotton fu tures closed steady; (Spots 22.53 . .October 22.23; December 22.38; Jan uay 22.22; March 22.27; Spots 22.55. Receipts . . . . . . . 53 Bales rnc 22 Cents Sharks Were After. ' Crew Of Seaplane - HAVANA, Aug. 28. - The crew of the seaplane Sampaio Correia, would have fallen prey to sharks if rescue had been delayed another hour, according to the story told by the members of the -New York to Rio Janeiro aero expedition upon their ar rival in Havana last night from Gua tanamo. Darkness overtook us Tuesday night while we were trying to reach Port n Prince, Haiti, xronu Nas sau," said Walter Hinton, pilot of the Sampaio Correia "I saw a light which I thought was from a lighthouse and attempted a landing but the darkness and mist deceived me and the force of the plunge ripped the bottom off the hulL "It was lucky for us mat me light was from the. United States Ship Denver, and that we managed to attract the ship's attention." "The Denver's lookout at first thought our descending machine was a shooting star and paid no atten tion to us," said George T. Bye, historian of the expedition. "Then when we began to signal we were mistaken for a fishing boat." ' "Finally when the cruiser's search-' light picked us up and fooled the sharks which had gatheted around the wrecked plane. Another hour would have given them a feast, for the Sampaio Correia was sinking fast-: "Those sharks not only followed the lifeboats to the Denver, but even pursued the wrecked plane when it was towed to Guantanamo." 'BERRIN MASSACRE' TO BE INVESTIGATED BY ATTY. GENERAL OF ILLINOIS More Than Two Months After Massacre State Of Illinois Is Now Beginning Probe Into Coal Mine Tragedy. MARION, Ills;, Aug. 28.. .(By the Associated . Press.) More than two months after 26 non-union workers at the Lester strip pit. which had- been deserted by Union bituminous coal dig gers, wero killed, what has come to be known as the "Herrin massacre" today was the subject of official inquisition. The 26 lost their lives in separato at tacks June 21 and 22, the greater num ber the second day when they were herd ed from the pit, and, according to eye witnesses, brutally shot, beaten ana cur to death. That the investigation beginning to day would be fair and far reaching was indicated by the announcemet of Ed ward J. Br uJage, Illinois attorney gen eral, that neither miner nor coal opera tor had been put on the especially call ed grand jury. Among witnesses summoned nre Slier iff Tbaxton, his deputies, and Coroner William McCown. Colonel Samuel Hun ter, of the Illinois national guard, who investigated the Herrin mine war at the request of Governor Len Small, ar rived here last night ready to testify before the grand jury. -. It was said here today Attorney Gen eral Brundage had advanced $5,000 out of his personal funds to dfray the ex penses of the investigation, for which many witnesses have been summoned from other states. MAINTENANCE OF WAY , MEN DEMAND INCREASE (By The Associated ' Press.) CHICAGO, Aug. 28. Railway main tenance of way employes, comprising approximately 400,000 track workers and erossing flagmen, whose threatened strike with the shop crafts last month ras held in abeyance pending new wage hearings, placed their demands for in creased pay before the United States Railroad Labor Board here todays! Of the 202 class one railroads, 105 Were parties to tte dispute. '. - The maintenance men based their claims for higher wages on increases in the cost of living. K. F. Grable, presi dent of the trackmen, said the 23 to 35 cents an hour scale provided by the rail board 's July 1 decision was less than a living wage. Mr. Grable, in entering the conference today, was armed with a strike vote which his men approved when the shop men walked off their jobs. He charac terized the case as the most important before te board since its creatiou. "Tho board must face and, I think; accept, he declared, "the principle of the living wage if it is to follow out 1 the intent of- the law and if its decis ions are to be equitable and just and meet the human needs of the railway workers." "The maintenance of way employes have remained at work since July 1 un der the expectation and actual assur ance by the original framers of the transporttaion ast that they would be able to secure a living wage under the provsiions of the existing laws. ' ' Suing Young Candler V-.v Another picture of Mrs, Clyde Byfield of Atlanta, who is suing young Candler, son of Asa G., for $100,000 for an elleged attack made on her on board a ship' in July. Young Candler is suing the Bynelds for the surrender of a note ior $25,000 which be 'alleges was ex torted from him J blackmail. - SOLDIER MONUMENT IS UNVEILED AT BELMONT Auten-Stowe Post Of Ameri can! Legion In Charge Of Impressive Ceremony Cale Burgess Speaks. BELMONT. Aug. 28. "The Belmont War Monument in honor of the Belmont boys who gave their lives in the World War, the first community monument honoring the dead heroes of the late war to be erected in Gaston rountv or evnn in this section of the Carolines was unveiled Sunday afternoon in the Belmont Ceme tery, in the presence of 2.000 or more citizens of the community gathered to ao honor to the occasion. Nothing wus lacking in the setting for the unvoiing, the graves of the young men . in whose honor the occasion was hel were covered in a beautiful mantle of flowers and fern, with crossed flags at the head of each mound, and the Bulihont hand rendered a concert of sacred' and patriotic raojic as the large crowd of people was assembling. Rev. J T Dendy opened thV-exerciscs with-a very fitting prayer. He was fol lowed, by Harley B. Gaston, commander of the Auten-Stoe Post of the American Legion, to whose untiring efforts largely duo the credit of raising the fund for the memorial and for the success of the exercises Sunday aftnoon.i M. Gas ton began his ernarks by saying that no ton in the country of Belmont 'a ize had done? more to help win the ar than Bel mon, and since tho return of the boy's from Franco she had been always ready to -show her appreciation of the ex ser vice man. . This monument, said Mr Gaston, is simply a culmination of this sentiment and, an expressed appreciation of the people of the community for their soldier dead. He then in behalf of the committee tat raised the fund and of the American Legion unner whose auspices it was raised, presented the monument to tho community m memory of Willie Auten, Charles Stowe, August uc Ware and Lonnie Walters. Little Miss Ruby Ware, of Gastohia, a sister of Augustus ware then unveiled the monument, dur ing which taps was sounded, followed by tho playing of, tho Star Spangled Banner by the Belmont band. Prof. F. P. Hull, in a very fitting talk, received the monument ' in behalf of the community. Mr. Hall made grateful remembrance of gifts formerly given by the Legion, especially reviewing the part played by the boys in the World War, he said: "It would be impossible to ever repay them but they will always have our undivided love." Then euligizing the boys who made the supreme sacrifice, he said the community, in receiving the monument, would ever uard it and cherish it as an inspiration to greater serviee. Cale Burgess the speaker, of the af ternoon was 'introduced by Harley B, Gaston as the man ho hud done more tha nany other person for the ex-service man in North Carolina. Mr. Burgess took for the burden of his talk the spirit of the boys of 1918 and of the debt we owe them to keep this Bpirit alive and to carry out their ideals. Expressing hit appreciation of the magnitude or the as semblac and of the spirit in evidence in the exercises he siiid that these alone proclaimed the patrioism and high char acter of the community. Tho enterprise nierits the highest approval for so long as that shaft of granite sands it will be a ribute not only to the character of the men to whom it was erected but also a testimony to the patriotism of the community. "No horrors of war could lefeat their imlomintable will ana now their bodies rest in peace and their memory in the hearts of their country- " While euligizing be boys he stressed the fact that we must not forget their relatives left behind, especially the gold star war mother. "Thot our com rades have not died in vain," said the speaker, "our lives should be dedicated o the carrying out the cause for which thev died and we should see that 'Gov ernment by the people for the people. shall not perish from the-rarth.' It is necessary. saisrMr. Burgess that we .dedicate ourselves to our country for which they gave their lives, for while many say that thenar is over, there is greaer menace to our country oday than there was in 1918." If the spirit pre vailed toilay that was in our country in 1918 Ambassador Harvey would be re called for the terrible insult to our Legion boys in his famous Pilgrims Day speech; if this spirit was with as neither (Continued on page six.) GOVERNMENT POLICY IN DEALING WITH STRIKE SITUATION WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY HARDING SHORTLY Seventy-Five Men Entombed In Mine 3,000 Feet Below Surface SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 28. (By The Associated Press.) Seventy-five men comprising the en tire night force of . the Argonaut mine, Jackson, Amador county, are entombed in the mine as the result of s fire which broke out at mid night, according to a report re ceived by Byron O. Pickard, at Berkeley, of the state bureau of . mines, from H. Downing, superin tendent of the mine. A rescue crew headed by Pickard and Rodney E. Ecox, left Berkeley for Jackson early today to effect a rescue of the men held ia the mine below the 3,000 foot mark. H. M. Wolflin, superintendent of safety of the California Industrial Accident Commission, was advised by telephone from the Argonaut mine, Jackson, Amador county, that A. Gabarini, manager of the mine, had enlisted the aid of a rescue crew and gone into the mine shaft , in an attempt to smother the flames. JACKSON. Cal.. Aug. 28. (By the Associated Press.) Seventy-five mew entombed in the famous Argonaut gold mine, beow the 3,500 foot level, by fire which broke out in the main shaft after mdinight were still in the mine at 7:30 o'clock this morning. The fire continued burning and efforts were being made to reach the miners through the abandoned Muldoon shaft, which touches the.veiu were te men were working. CAPPS IN CHARGE OF CITY COURT MOW Slaps 30 Days On One Drunk Speeders, Scrappers, Jit ney Drivers and Drunks Form Good Sized Docket. Hon. B. Capps, of the local bar, and acting recorder of city court, was boss this morning at tho city ball, and needless to say, his honor made the day look like a real blue Monday for the many violators of Gastonia 's various laws. The fact that Agent Houscr has been stopping a large quantity of liquor from South Mountain into the City of Spindles was . not in evidence. Liquor is present from somewhere. Folks are getting bold of it. A dozen drunks were up, being charged with consuming several differ ent brands of Anti-Volstead tonic. A case of transporting, receiving aud keep ing for sale intoxicating liquor was continued. Two speed fiends forked up five-fifty each for trynig to leave local speed cops. One auto was nailed by Officer Parrish Sunday for braving the winds without a new state license. For this. the defendant paid tho costs. Charlie Glover and R. H. .Rogers were up for operating a car for hire without the required license. They were represented by Attorney John G. Carpenter. At the request of . tho defense, th ease was continued until Thursday, August 31. iwo maidens and one stag of the Union Square vicinity were charged with affray and assault on female. In all three cases the defendants were taxed with $. and costs. It seems that the dark skinned young man was attempting to go with two maidens at the same time, which of courso caused trouble A few blows wero passed on the streets of Union Bquare. THE WEATHER North Carolina fair tonicht and Tuesday, warmer Tuesday and in ex treme west tonight. Nt Yet Broke. County Judge "How long have you owned acarf " v Motorist (charged with speeding) 'Ono week, your honor." Judge "Urn then you can still af ford to pay a fine. Twenty dollars." Boston Transcript. Chiiiif sends Mr. Ma to Washington. Wonder how Mrs. Pa is. Most of the European crises are being 'Made in Germany. Wonder if Ireland talks about our peace like we do about hcrst Restaurants are sellirtg coru-ou-t he- cub and string-on-tbe-beaa. When a gossip meets a rumor the re cording angel writes shorthand. Every time we think of Congress, we feel for;our money. WILL VOTE TO LET GERMANY IN LEAGUE GENEVA, Aug. 28. (By The Associated Press.) The Swiss dele gation to the League of Nations has been instructed to vote for the admis sion of Germany to the league, if she applies. This is in support of the Swiss Government's' Tiew that the league should be universal. AMERICAN WOMAN , ARRESTED IN MUNICH MUNICH, Aug. 28. The Mueni chener Neusle Nachtichten reports that an American woman named Katherine Gray, 27 years of age, has been arrsted in Munich. The news paper says she had been sought by the police of Brussels for alleged knowledge of swindling operations involing jewelry worth 2,500,000 Bel gian francs. ALL OF IRELAND KNELT AND WEPT AT FUNERAL OF MICHAEL COLLINS Never Has There Been Such a Demonstration Of Grief In the Troubled History Of Ireland. DUBLIN', Aug. 28. (By to Asso ciated Press.) Michael Collins was laid to rest today in Glasucvin after a dem onstration of national grief such as has been seldom seen in the long ccturics of Ireland's troubled history. Arthur Griffith was buried with all tho honor due a great leader; Collins went to the grave amid the tears of a nation that worsliippod him personally as a gallant young patriot in whom wero combised all those traits which Irish men hold dear. Good humor, the power of oratory, and a laughing disregard for death all were his and whilo immense throngs Hilled the great cathedral and lined the route to Glasnevin, congregations gath ered In every city, town and hamlet throughout the land to mounr his pass ing. ... It was a military funeral.- Fellow officers last night had borne tho body into the cathedral just as Collins a short fortnight ago helped bear the body of his colleague Griffith. They had stood guard all night and were there this ' morning when the solemn requiem high mass was celebrated before a multitude which overflowed the edifice into the streets.' Richard Mulcahy, the new chieftain to whom all Ireland now looks; General O 'Duffy, new chief of staff, and General McKeon, "The Blacksmith of Ballinalee," whose dash and fire have awakened enthusiasm akin to that won by Collins himself. , HIGH LIGHTS IN TODAY'S STRIKE SITUATION (By The Associated Press.) CIIICAGO, Aug. 28. (By the Asso ciated Press., The tie-up on the Chi cago k Alton Railroad and the appear ance of maintenance of way werkers before the United States Railroad Labor Board seeking higher wages were high lights in the nation's railroad situation today, tho fifty-ninth snico railway shop men threw down their tools to strike against decisions by the labor board. Their charters endangered by revoca tion by their national chief, W. G. Lee, members of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen by unauthorized walkouts at Roodhouse, Ilia, and Slater, Mo., still had a stranglehold on traffic on the C. & A. Striking clerks and firemen aided the trainmen in holding the road in their grip and meetings were called today to decide whether the throttling would continue. W. H. Penrith, general superintendent of the road, had his office ear on a sid ing and with other officials was direct ing efforts from there to iron out the trouble. With the blockade at Roodhouse com plete, Kstal inspectors were investi gating the delay of a Chicago k Alton mill train at Slater and Marshall, Mo. It was said to bo the first instance of interference with mails in Missouri. A non-union man who took the place of a union fireman at Slater, jumped from the cab aud fled after firing the mail train's engine to Marshall, when he learned that strikers had followed the train in auuutomobile from the for mer town. . On the eve of the maintenance of way hearing before the labor board here, trackmen on the Missouri Pacific at Jefferson City, Mo., joined the walk out of trainmen in protest against the presence of armed guards and deputy United States marshals in the shops and yards. Freight service there was at a standstill. Most of the new tariff duties painful duties. Toledo News Bee. are It appears that they intend to fight it out along the railroad lines if it takes all summer. Life. Just at present we are not much in terested in keeping the home fires burning, but we would like to have the assurance that we'll be able to start 'em. Philadelphia Inquirier. . Once there was a group that had!was Tar ' the government '', ' supreme power and didn't make the minority cut bait. Baltimore Sun HARDING BACK FROM A WEEK-END CRUISE HAS STRIKE NEWS TO GIVE May Propose To Congress That Executive Operate Rail and Coal Properties. STILL LOOKS FOR PEACE Hoover, Daugherty and Cum i mins Accompanied Presi dent Qn His Trip. WASHINGTON, Aug 23,-Prdsident Harding and the party of officials who accompanied him on the weex-end cruise down the Potomac, returned to the capi tal early today, the presidential yacht Mayflower docking at the navy yard shortly before 8 o'clock. The president went direct to tho -White House from the boat President Harding's return from his week-end cruise, during which he is un derstood to have advised with officials who accompanied him, on the strike situation, was expected in some quar ters to be f ollowed by a definite an- , nouncement of the administration's pol icy with respect to the proposal that Congress authorize the executive to take over and operate rail and coal proper ties. Tho exact scope of the govern- . mcnt's policy in dealing with the strike situation probably will bo revealed in any event within the next few days. Before leaving on the cruise, the pres- ident, who was accompanied by Secre-". tary Hoover, Attorney General Daugh erty and Chairman Cummins, of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee, was represented by 'those in his confi dence as still believing that industrial peace would be restored without a resort to government operation,, but as inclined to feel that authority for such a course should be .granted as a precautionary measure before Congress took its con templated recess. Senator Cummins in dicated before going aboard the May flower that a bill which he has drafted authorizing Federal . operation of any railroad failing to furnish adequate ; service as well as a similar one relating to coal miues would be formlly intro duced early this week. With the Borah bill for a fact-finding; coal commission laid aside in the Senate until the middle of the week, efforts at the capitol to deal with the strike prob lem were confined today to committee meetings to- consider the respective dis tribution bills introduced by Chairman Cummins and Chairman Winslow, of the House interstate commerce committees A five-hour public hearing had been ar ranged for the Winslow bill with an agreement of the House committee mem bers to remain in session tonight until I a report has been voted on the measure. There was no definite program of pro cedure for the Seuato committee, but some members were expectd to make an effort to delay action to permit further study of the Cummins bill, with a pos sibility that hearings would be held on that measure also. WASHINGTON, Aug. 28. (By Tho Associated Press.) Whilo the commit tees of the Senate and House were at work today to perfect coal distribution legislation recommended by the Adminis tration, President Harding and his ad visers prepared to bring to bear all the powers they now possess for improve ment of fuel transportation facilities. As a result of the President's week end conferences it was indicated that le still believed it would be possible to re store normal conditions without a resort to government operation of rail ami coal properties affected by the- strike situation, and that he felt much couid be. done in that direction even before Congress acts to create a fuel distribu tion agency and to clothe the Inter state Commerce Commission with addi tional powers over priority. As outlined in an authoritative quar ter, the Mayflower conferences reached the conclusion that the bituminous coal situation was in fair way to clear itself upentirely, that the anthracite strike showed indications of' settlement in the very near future, and that if facilities eould be provided to accelerate shipment of the fuel supplies thus promised the general situation would be such as to enable a gradual re-establishment of complete stability. Just what executive steps are in con templation to facilitate coal shipments was not revealed, but' it was indicated that both the Interstate Commerce Com- mission and the emergency fuel distri bution machinery already set up would be relied, on to provide effective meas ures to protect the interests of the public- There were intimations that in or dr to get the maximum results, a cur tailment of passenger, express and freight traffic in all commodities except . fuel and essential foodstuffs was among the possibilities. Chairman Cummins, who has advocat ed steps to authorize presidential opera tion of roads and mines, would not dis cuss the Mayflower conversations u hi return to the capital today but h indi cated that he might not offer for tha present the authorizing li-gUlation hi has prepared. It was the" ch-ar, impli cation of all the leaders both ia exi-m-tive and legislative circles, however, tii.it iHssible action in that dire:tMii FroRram " K'sscf mea,uu c' Ij0 ' "n effective.