The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-03
TAX ON BRITISH COAL
A HOT DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF
COMMONS.
ARRAIGNED BY HARCoURT.
COMPETITION WITH AMERICA DIS
CUSSED.

The Government Having Hard
Fight for Existence-The Coal Tax
an Extraordinary Piece of Bung-
ling, Says Harcourt-ChanceIlO
Hicks-Beach Gives Figures Show
ing the Immese Profits of the Mine
Owners During 1900 and Contends
That There Need He No Fenr of
Competition.
London, May 2.-There was large at
tendance in the House of Commons to-day
in anticipation of the discussion of the
new export tax on coal.
The government issued an urgent
whip" to the unionist members who are
largely pledged to vote against the tax.
The government took strong precautions
to secure a majority.
The full house and galleries had to
wait until nearly o'clock for the begin
ming of the debate Sir William Vernon
Harcourt, Liberal, led with a severe, al
most violent arraignment of the govern
ment. He said the tax would throw the
coal trade into chaos and confusion. 1t
recklessly disregarded existing contracts
and was a most unbusinesslike way of
dealing with a great trade. 1t was an ex-
traordinary piece of bungllng 1t was
nonsense to say the foreigner would pay
the tax because he could not do without
coal. The government of Italy had an
swered that plea by taking coal from
America instead of this country. The
trade of France will be equally divided
between this country, Germany and Bel
GUM.
The chancellor of the exchequer, Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach dnterrupting said:
I'VE are beating the others"
Then go ON beating them" said Sir
William Vernon Harcourt, why throw
shilling into the scale against this
country"
Sir William contended that it was class
legislation. and that the tax would u1ti-
mately come out of the miners wages.
The chancellor of the exchequer admit
ted that the tax, like every tax, was an
obstruction on trade. The real question
was, could the export trade in coal bear
the tax? 1t could. English coal was
of so good a quality there was much of
it, and Ii could not be got in any other
country. Thus, to a large extent, it was
free from competition.
Bag Profits of Mine Owners.
The chancellor submitted masses Of sta
tistics which he summarized showing
225 900, 600 tons were mined In 1900, on
which, after deducting flSo00000 in wages
more than in 1897 left the coal owners a
net profit of $4,000, 900 on capital of f11O,-
900 900. He had some difficulty in keeping
his patience when deputations talked to
him about the Improbable condition of
trade. He had not proposed the tax for
merely one year and 1t would be on those
who were able to bear it.
AS to the competition of the United
States, Sir Michael said:
Last year the price of our coal at the
port of export rose very much higher than
the price of coal in the United States, but
in spite of that our export of coal was
IS, ,OO0, 900 tons, or 3,500,00O tons more than
the previous year.
United states Cannot Compete.
"The United States export little over
16, ,000, 900 tons; if the United States could
not compete when the price of our coal
was very high. it would be absolutely i'm
possible for them to compete when the
price of our coal was low."
John Redmond, the Nationalist leader,
said the coal tax did not affect Ireland,
and in that respect it was the beginning
of a new era. On general principles, how
ever, he urged Irish members to do every
thing possible in their efforts 20 defeat
the budget.
The debate was adjourned to Monday
next, when, according to the arrange
ment, division will be taken.