New-York tribune., 1903-01-15
CONGRESS- 4CTS QUICKLY.
Passage Of the Coal BiH-Jenh7ns
Resolution Surprise.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Isl
washington Jan. 14.-Anthracite was placed
permanently on the free list to-day by Congress.
subject to the Presidents approval. and pro-
vision was made for refunding the duty on all
other coal for one year. Representative jenkins
of Wisconsin, chairman of the House committee
on the Judiciary, introduced resolution looking
to the seizure and operation of the coal mines
of the country by the government. This resola-
ton is regarded rehabilitation OF the Hlll
coal plank in the New-York State Democratic
platform, and has caused surprise and an end
less amount of talk among both Republican ana
Democratic members of the House to-day
The legislative record of Congress on coal To-
day is regarded as most satisfactory. The bill.
as it passed the House. provided only for the re-
funding of duties collected coal for one year,
as outlined in The Tribune this morning. 1t
received only five negative votes in the House,
although the Democrats took occasion to crltl-
else the measure as an evasion on the part OF
Republicans. When the bill reached the Senate
it was at once made the subject of consideration,
and the amendment making anthracite free of
duty was agreed to and the bill passed in short
order. 1t then went back to the House, ana
after a short conference among the leaders the
Senate amendment was agreed to and the bill
sent to the printer for preparation to go to the
White House The Jenkins resolution which at
Committee Rules.
In discussing the resolution Representative
Jenkins declared to The Tribune correspondent
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 Congress had the right to take
the coal mines and operate them to avert a
great public calamity such the present coal
famine The tariff legislation and the various
resolutions of inquiry, he believed. would
amount to nothing far as giving the people
coal. Mr.. Jenkins declared that he should en-
deavor to get speedy action from the Committee
on Rules on the resolution
The resolution does not seem to be taken seri-
ously by other members of that committee or
by Republican leaders in the House They de-
clare that it will never again be heard of after
it goes to the Rules Committee The Demo-
Gratis on the other hand, are jubant over the
resolution 1t will undoubtedly be taken by the
minority as the text for demagogic speeches on
the subject of government ownership of in
dustries.
Still other action on the coal question
taken by the House to-day. The Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries. which has been
authorized to investigate coal transportation,
held a meeting this morning and decided that
in order to conduct the investigation properly it
would be necessary to divide the committee into
sections and send subcommittee to different
localities to obtain evidence This decision was
reported to the House later in the day by
Chairman Grosvenor. and a resolution granting
the authority asked was agreed to- In the de-
bate on the Grosvenor resolution it shown
that the committee expects to be able to report
on coal transportation before the end of the
session.