Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-04-14
HON. 4. T. vINSON
MADE AN ABLE SPEECH IN BEHALF
OF WEST VIRGINIA
Coal Operators Before the
United states Senate
Finance Commit
tee.

Washington. ID c., April o.
The West Virginia coal men had
n hearing betore the senate finance
committee today. with Hon. 4.
I. Vinson making the only
speech. 1t bad been planned for
Nr. Vinson to he aided by Neil
Robinson, Ed. knight and c. M.
Barrett of New York, but Mr..
Vinson alone was permitted To
speak and he did not tell all he
planned.
Both Senators Elkins and
Scott attended the hearing.
Members of the committee ask
ed few questions and found the
West Virginian ready with argu-
ments against free coal. Mr..
Vinson set forth the harm that
would come TO West Virginia
coal interests by the removal of
tie tariff aud the reciprocal plan
with Canada, averring that it
would revolutionize the coal busi-
ness from Maine to California.
He dwelt much on the fact
that the Generalization of prices
would cause readjustment of
the wage scale ard declared
every mine employe in West Vir.
ginia would have his wages cut.
He also called attention 10 the
fact that American warships de-
pend much on West Virginia
smokeless coal and that the pro.
posed free coal schedule would
menace the nation in case of
war. He cited the opening of
the Few YirgiDian railroad, built
for coal transportation alone. and
declared it would lose it's mar
kets if the senate did not amend
the house bill.
The West Virginia operators
were somewhat encouraged to-
night after assurances by Sena-
tors Scott and Elkins and the
house delegation that the senate
would eventually restore the
tariff at a somewhat reduced rate.
MEETING OF COAL MEN.
The much advertised meeting
OF the West Virginia coal barons
came to pass in Washington
without much actual excitement
but with the expected interest.
The first meeting was held prior
to the presentation of the situa-
tion to the senate committee and
1t was a matter of regret that the
five house mem bers from the
state could not meet with the
operators. This for the reason
that vote on the rule was i'm
progress and every republican
had to be in his seat. Sad it was
too that while the West Virginia
coal magnates were meeting word
came by phone that the house had
adopted the rule aud that all
hope of amending the coal sched-
ule in the lower house was gone.
Thanks to the presence of the two
senator's in the miners meetiog
( and thanks an awful lot to the
soft spoken promises of Elkins
that the senate would take care
of coal there was not 30 much
dismay among the coal men as
might have been expected. They
have all along thought that their
relief would come from the sem
ate and for that reason had plan.
ned the meeting of today with
the AldrIch committee. It was
somewhat satisfying too that the
presentation of today was permit
ted only through the determined
efforts of Senators Scott and Ell
kins. The presence of those two
statesmen in the meeting of coal
men buoyed up hope in the opera
tore and they got down to the pre-
iiminary business with hopeful in
dustry.
MANY COMPANIES REPRESENTED.
Captain Page, president of the
West Virginia Mining associa-
ton, called the gathering together
and Neil Robinson was at his
post as secretary. There was no
roll call but the assembly room
was very we'll filed with resolute
looking men from every coal GEN.
ter of West Virginia. A few
politicians were scattered through
the hall for good measure, but
they pleaded that they were law