292 



Four days later, on March 7, the President sent identical letters to the 

 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, requesting es- 

 tablishment of a commission on the coal industry.® He proposed a nine- 

 member commission with two representatives each from the Houses 

 of Congress, and five appointed by the President. Hearings were held 

 on the measure in the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Af- 

 fairs, but no action was completed on the proposal.^ 



A broader approach to national materials policy, by the President, 

 was the creation of the President's Materials Policy Commission, early 

 in 1951. The charge to this Commission, presented in a letter from the 

 President to its chairman, Mr. William Paley, January 22, 1951, asked 

 that the Commission study the "broader and longer range aspects of 

 the Nation's materials prol^lem * * *." Chapter 19 of the Commission's 

 report ^° dealt with coal. The problem was ; " * * * how to put the vast 

 reserves to greater use at lower costs." The Commission took note of the 

 fact that coal had "earlier the reputation of a sick industry," because 

 of its competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis liquid and gaseous fuels and 

 because of the diffusion of its producing units. ("* * * Made up of 

 small companies that are financially unable to invest heavily in re- 

 search and development.") Research could be highly beneficial, in 

 improving mining methods, coal transportation, and conversion of coal 

 to liquid fuel forms. Finally, the Commission concluded that restric- 

 tions should not be imposed on competing sources of energy but that 

 the Grovernment should — 



* * * acting through the Bureau of Mines, undertake, with the cooperation 

 of private industry, labor, and private research organizations, a thorough ap- 

 praisal of present research and development work relating to coal ; and the 

 formulation of a strong program to advance coal technology to be carried out 

 by a combination of private and public effort. In light of the needs revealed by 

 this proposed study, ample funds should be provided by Congress to carry out 

 the Government's share of a comprehensive coal research and development pro- 

 gram, with provisions for using such funds in part for contracting to non-Gov- 

 ernment research organizations. 



A similar recommendation was offered February 26, 1955, in a re- 

 port by a Presidential Advisory Committee on Energy Supplies and 

 Resources. Said the report : 



We recognize that coal is a great national asset and endorse a cooperative 

 study to determine what research and development could be undertaken. The 

 coal industry and both Federal and State governments should participate in 

 this study and its cost."^ 



In response to this latter recommendation, the Bureau of Mines, in 

 cooperation with Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., undertook a "survey 

 of current research on bituminous coal," issued in May 1956, by the 

 Bureau as Information Circular 7754, "Outlook and Research Possi- 



8 Ibid., p. 191. 



* U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. "Fuel Study Pro- 

 posals." Hearings Before the ♦ * * on S. Res. 239, Resolution to investigate available fuel 

 reserves and formulate a national fuel policy of the United States ; S.J. Res. 157, a joint 

 resolution to establish a special bipartisan coal commission : S. 3215, A bill to establish the 

 commission on the coal Industry ; S. 3383, a bill to promote interstate commerce in coal ; to 

 provide for the conservation of the coal resources of the Nation, to assure an adequate 

 supply of coal, and for other purposes ; and S. 6, A bill to aid in preventing shortages of 

 petroleum and petroleum products in the United States by promoting the production of 

 synthetic liquid fuels, July 13, 1950 (Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950), 

 101 pages. 



1" U.S. President's Materials Policy Commission. "Resources for Freedom," vol. I, "Foun- 

 dations for Growth and Security" (Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1952), 

 ch. 19. 



^ U.S. Presidential Advisory Committee on Energy Supplies and Resources. "Report on- 

 Energy Supplies and Resources Policy : Recommendations" (Washington, 1955) [issued as- 

 a White House press release, Feb. 26. 1955], p. 4. 



