Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-20
WITHDREW HIS BILL.
Representative Davis Favors the BIZ
luminous Coal Operators.
A BIG SAVING TO MINE OWNERS.
Manufacturers Think the Liability Bill
Will Be Defeated.
CORKWORKERS FIGHT FOR UNIONISM

The present Legislature will not pass Rep
resentative Davis bill, providing for tax
on the tonnage of coal mined in the State.
Several Pittsburg operators went to Harris
burg and,appeared before the Senate FL
nance and Corporations Committee, to
which the bill had been referred after pass
ing the House. The bill. as originally pre-
sented, provided that every individual firm or
corporation owning anthracite coal lands
in this Commonwealth shall, semi-annually
upon the LIST day of July and January of
each year, make report under oath or afirma-
ton to the Auditor General of the number
OF tons of coal mined upon the land of the
said owners of anthracite coal lands, whether
by lease, contract or otherwise, during the
six months preceding the 1st day Of January
and July, and shall pay into the Treasury
of the Commonwealth at the rate of 1 cent
upon each and every ton of 2,24O pounds Of
coal mined"
What Was to Be Done With the Money.
The money collected was to be paid to the
county treasures in the counties i'll which
coal is mined, and paid out to injured miners at
the rate of 81 day for every day that the injury
incurred incapacitated the beneficiary from
pursuing his occupation; $50 is allowed for the
loss of limb, $50 in case of death with an al
Iotment of SIS a month for the widow as long as
she remained a widow and 81 month for each
child under IA years of age.
Mr.. Davis had the bill amended, extending
its provisions to the bIsuminous districts. This
meant an expense of about $780, 600 to the Pitts
burg operators and they set about to defeat the
bill.
James Walton, one of a committee sent to
Harrisburg in the interest of the operators,
stated to the Corporations Committee the
effects its passage would have on the operators.
HIS objection was not based so much on the
amount OF money it would take from the
operators although this would be large, as
upon the fact that large and constantly in
creaSlng 1uno would go into irresponsible
hands, with no systematic plan provided for
the judlclous distribution of it to those most
deserving
He asserted that while there are large dis
asters occasionally, the fatalities are not of
alarming frequency. During the 25 years which
mel ne mas been NINE owner tour persons nave
lost their lives in his mines. and each loss was
sustained through the sheer carelessness of the
miner.
Alex. Dempster was also there. and presented
a strong argument against the bill. Mr.. Davis
was so Impressed with the statements made by
the Pittsburgers that he Immediately asked the
committee for the privilege of Withdrawing the
amendment relating to the biruminous dis
trict, which was granted.
Well Pleased With the Prospects.
Local operators are therefore pleased with
the prospects of seeing the bill sleeping to
death" as one of them put it yesterday. On
the other hand the labor officials feel they have
done great deal of fruitless work. When the
Mammoth mine horror occurred they set
about to have some legislation passed for the
relief of miners. The DAVIS bill was the result
of their work.
Master Workman Evans, of d. A. 3, K of l.,
said last night he was surprised that the amend
ment should be Withdrawn entirely. II think"
said he, 'it could have been altered to suit the
operators. II l cent was too high tax they
could have made it one-half or even one
quarter of a cent. And if the bill did not pro-
vide the proper channels through which the
fund should be handled, it all could have been
changed to suit everybody"
Master Workman Britton. of District 95, TX.
fl. OF Connecticut who Is in the city, said
hewas pleased when he heard of the bill being
presented in th& P .nsylvania Legislature, be-
cause he thought the old Keystone State was
taking another of her customary progressive
steps. He thinks. however, that IL the bitumin.
Gus amendment is excluded that the one relat-
ing to anthracite coal ought to be withdrawn
also,