Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-03
THE COAL TAX
Draws a Large Crowd to the
House of Commons.
Hicks-Beaoh UphoIds and Harcourt
Opposes Proposed Measure.
Does No. Affect Ireland but John Redmond
Urges Strong Opposition.

London. May 2.-There was a large
attendance in the House of Commons.
today, in anticipation of the discussion
Of the export tax on coal, but before
this stage of the days proceedings can
he reached 1l3 questions have to be
disposed Of
The government has issued an urgent
whip to the UnioniSt members who
ale largely pledged 10 vote against the
tax. The government Is standing firm
and is taking strong precautions to Sc
cure n ma jority.
There was considerable excitement
on the Cardiff Coal Exchange. today.
The paucity of free coal indisposes TO
ceiling at any price. Some firms are
suspendng their charging operations
pending developments.
The chancellor of the exchequer, Sir
Michael Hicks Beach, replying to Mr..
Claiming. Liberal. said 100000 of
the new loan had been allotted as fol
lows: To the Rothschilds. eli 100000;
]. p Morgan & Co, c10,000O 600; Bank
Of England, c9.000,OG0.
Lord Cranborne. the under foreign
secretary, replying to Sir Charles How
ard Vincent, Conservative. said ru-
n,ors had reached the government from
various sources of the intention of the
German government to increase the
duties on steel and various other goods.
! The government was alive to the I'm
portanCe of such information but in the
absence of q definite knowledge of Ger
many's Intentions the ministry was
unable to make any statement in re-
| ply to the members suggestion of
withdrawing free trade from Germany.
| The full House and galleries had to
wait until nearly 6 O'Clock for the be-
ginning of the coal tax debate. Sir
| VIM. Vernon Harcourt. Liberal. led
with a severe. almost violent arraign-
ment of the government. He said the
tax would throw the coal trade into
| chaos and confusion. 1t recklesSly dis
regarded existing contracts and was q
most unbusnesslike way of dealing
with a great trade. 1t was an eXtraor-
binary and vexatious piece of bunglins.
1t was nonsense to say the foreigner
would pay the tax because he could not
do without coal. The government of
Italy had answered by taking coal
fl ON America instead of this country
Sir William contended that it was
class legislation and that the tax
would ultimately come out of the min
ers' wages.
The chancellor of the exchequer adj
, mitted that the tax, ike every other
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 SO much of it and il could
not be got in any other country. Thus
. to n large extent it was free from
competition.
Tie chancellor submitted masses Of
stat sites which he summarized as
showing that 100000 tons were
mined in 1900 on which, after deduct
ing els 900 900 in wages more than in
1897. left the coal owners a, net profit
Ct c29 0O0. 900 on capital of fl1O.000,-
600. He had some difficulty in Keeping
his patience when populations talked
to him about the Improbable condi-
lions of trade. He had not proposed the
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