The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-28
COAL PUT ON THE FREE LIST
Congress Passes a Bill Suspending
the Duties on Fuel.
lNQUIRYINToCAUSE0 OF SHORTAGE

A Eesoiusien Looking to the Seizure and
Operation Of tbs Coal Mines Intro
daced - IL 70 Referred 70 Tho Conn
mittec ON Rifles - Not Likely That Il
VIM He Acted Upon.
Washington. d. Coal provides the
overshadowing issue In Congress. Re-
publicans acted with Democrats in en-
acting q bin which puts anthracite coal
on the free list and provides rebate OF
duties Oh all coal for a year. 1t was
passed by the House by q vote Of 25S
to G, and was rushed through the Sen.
ate with only enough time to observe
formalfties. The House quickly adopt.
ed the Senate amendment. making IN.
thracite free for all time. and the bill
was sent to the President for his sigma
ture.
Chairman Jenkins, Of the judiciary
Committee, introduced q resolution d..
reciinG his committee to Investigate
and report to the House on the feasibil-
its Of seizing the coal mines as sug-
gested In the New York State Demo
cratic platform last year. It reads:
Resolved, That the Committee on
Judiciary be and Is hereby directed to
investigate and report to this House
with all convenient speed the opinion
OF that committee as to the power Of
Congress to declare that a necessity
has arisen for taking possession Of all
coal, coal beds and coal mines In the
United States. and all lines Of trans
portatlon, agencies, instruments II
vehicles OF commerce necessary for the
transportation Of coal, and that II In
the opinion Of that committee the
power exists and a necessity for the
exercise Of such power has arisen, that
that committee forthwith report to this
House a bill declaring the necessity.
providing fully and in detail the coca.
sions, modes. conditions and agencies
70. said appropriation that Will fully
and completely exhaust the power OF
Congress In that regard"
The resolution was referred to the
Committee. ON Rules. which consists Of
the Speaker. Messrs. Grosvenor and
Dalzell, Republicans. and Richardson
and Underwood, Democrats. MI. Jen-
kins viii Try to secure its early con-
s~ideration. Congratulations on his reso-
luton have been wired to him from
New York and other cities.
In discussing the resolution Repre-
sentative Jenkins declared that he had
recently investigated the right and
power Of Congress to act on the lines
suggested In his proposition. and had
become thoroughly convinced that Con-
gress had the right to take the coal
mines and operate them to avert q
great public calamity, such rs
the present coal famine. The tariff
legislation and the various resolutions
Of inquiry, he believed, would amount
to nothing so far as giving the people
coal.
The resolution does not seem to be
taken seriously by other members Of
that committee or by Republican lead
ers In the House. They declare that
Il will never again be heard Of after
Il goes to the Rules Committee. The
Democrats, on the other hand, are
jubifant over the resolution.
Still other action on the coal question
was taken by the House. The Commit
tee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
which has been authorized TO investi.
gate coal transportation. held a meet
ing and decided that In order to COZ.
duct the investigation properly It
would be necessary to divide Inc COM
mittee into sections md send sub-com.
mlttees to different localities to OBJ
tain evidence. This decision was re-
ported to the House later in the day
by Chairman G%rosvenor. and a resolu-
ton granting the authority asked was
agreed to. In the debate on the Gros-
venor resolution II was shown that the
committee expects to be able to report
coal transportation before the end
OF the session.