The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-05-10
FIGHTING COAL TAX.
Some Very Caustic Remarks in
the House of Commons
IN DEFENSE OF COAL MINERS
Denounced the Government as "Pack
of Riotous Hounds After a Eve
Lamb" BY Which He Referred to
the Coal Industry.

London, May by a vote of 1913 to
227 the coal tax bill passed the house
of commons. Consequently the tax
of a shilling a ton on export coal was
figures, apparently don't represent the
feeling of the members of the house,
but the government made the issue
strictly party one and secured the
and by vigorous efforts polled within
a score of the normal majority. The
galleries were packed to overlooking.
The principal figures during the last
day of the discussion of the coal tax
were chiefly within the liberal ranks.
Sir Edward Grey, Mr.. II. III. Asquith,
Mr.. VIM. Abraham (liberaD and Mr..
Chas. Fenwick all assailed the tax
eloquently, the last two speaking with
no little pathos and a broad accent on
behalf of the miners, in whose station
of life they worked before coming to
Westminster
Perhaps the most interesting fea-
ture was The speech of Hon. Frederick
Lambton, brother of the Earl of Dur.
ham, who, standing amid the conserva.
tive members, denounced the govern.
ment as "a pack of riotous hounds af
ter eve lamb" by which he referred
to the coal industry. He declared that
the chancellor of the exchequer had
represented the Golfers as liars and
forgers and maintained that they were
"as honorable a set of men as ever
sat on the government benches" Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach attempted to eX.
plain, but Mr.. Lambton paid little
heed. The sleepy peers who had come
in to hear the final stages of the de-
bate blinked vigorously as they heard
the right of miners to strike pro
claimed by an aristocrat who declared
the miners were "as good as many a
man who has won the Victoria cross"
Another supporter of the govern.
ment, Mr.. John Wilson, objected to the
tax, bringing up the question Of Amer
lean competition and contending that
the duty would give the United States
a chance to cut out British coal.
This started the ball rolling, and for
some time the house gave itself up to
a discussion of the relative merits of
"Pocohantas" and "smokeless Welsh"
with frequent references to Americas
growing merchant marine and the ad.
vantages of coal Mr.. BalfOur, in ramb.
ling style, summed up the debate, bas.
ing his argument upon the proposition
that such a great and ever increasing
industry as the export of coal could
not be seriously affected by the impo.
sition of tax of a shilling a ton. He
dismissed as highly improbable the
theory that American coal would ever
be able to compete with English.
In the division which followed there
was much crOss-voting. Mr.. John Nor.
ley voted with the government Sew.
eral liberals abstained from voting,
while almost all the conservatives rep.
resenting coal counties joined the op-
position. During Mr.. Balfour's sum.
ming up one of his own adherents re-
marked audibly, ct is a wretched
speech, but Of course Balfour does not
know what he is talking about" This
was a verdict which seemed to meet
with the approval of other government
supporters nearby. Indeed, if the most
urgent whips had not been issued and
if it had not been feared that the gov.
eminent was likely to be defeated,
many ministerialists who voted in ia.
vor Of the tax would either have alb.
stained from voting or would have
voted against it. What the miners
federation will do now remains to be
seen. Judging from the speeches of
the labor members during the last
stages of the debate the federation is
quite likely to declare general strike,
thus precipitating a struggle between
organized labor and parliament. Such
a collision as was said frequently dur.
ing the discussion might prove ruinous
to the coal industry and highly injuri-
Gus to the country.
Denver, Col, May IA special to
the News from Santa Fe, N NJ, says:
Four beautiful turquoises from the
Porterfield mines, in the Burro noun.
tains, were presented to President Nc.
Kinley yesterday by Gov. Otero at
Deming The largest stone weighed
20 karats and was a superb specimen.