The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-10

would be s270 and SO respectively Surely ! no business could reasonably object to | the small contribution from the abun- dance of its profits as provided in the | bill, provided the tax be laid upon all 1 alike
 INCOME FEATURE MODERATE "The income feature of the bill which
 has been accepted by the House is like wise very moderate. Under it's operation 1 married man with three dependent
 children enjoying an income of $2,5oo per year would pay nothing, with an income | s, 900 per year he would pay S per year;
 s5,00o per year, s4S; s10,000 per year, s222 s25,eo0 per year, sS96 and so on Can l it be possible that any patriotic Alabam- 1 ian will object to paying these small sums out of handsome incomes? I can not believe the members of civic bodies will be very proud of their part in the adoption of calamity -howling resolutions, when they reflect on these figures and realize just exactly what it all means "As to the privilege tax for conducting the business of mining coal and iron, the
 claim is made that the tax on coal and iron would destroy these industries It is
 not true; it is ridiculous, and no one
 knows it better than the coal barons
 and iron kings and the swarm of paid at
 torneys and paid lobbyists who for fat
 fees are serving their masters so faith
 fully.
 Before the war the price of coal
 ranged from $1 to $S or s4 at. the mines
 Today these prices doubled and more, the price of digging coal having
 increased only about 30 cents per ton, One operator informed me last week that
 the profit on coal was from $1 to $1.50 per ton on the present market. I asked him why the Kentucky and Tennessee competition could not be met. He re-
 I-
 want to break down the war prices. An other operator said to me, Five cents per ton tax on coal is fair, just and reasonable, and I am willing to pay it.
 QUOTES HUDDLESTON
 ''In this connection I call attention to the speech of the Hon. George Huddles ton, representative in Congress from the Birmingham district, representing a larger coal mining district than any other single member of Congress.
 .'Mr. Huddleston was speaking to res- olution he had offered asking for the appointment of a congressional investiga- ton of the coal operators, the propa- ganda being sent broadcast advising con- sumers to purchase their supply of win ter coal at present high prices. as coal promised to go higher, if indeed it could be purchased at all.
 MT Huddleston presented facts and figured tending to show that there was l not any shortage of coal, or if there is, 1 it is not for lack of labor, but because | coal operators are deliberately shutting ! down their mines to make coal scarce and | to get prices fixed by the government, l or even demanding more than the price 1 fixed The price demanded exceeds the maximum fixed by the fuel administration i in many sections, and it exceeds the max | imum in my own district said Mr. Hud- l dleston.
 MT Huddleston is also quoted as stating that the increase in price that , the operators are now receiving in my district, as compared to 1914, ranges from 100 to 200 per cent.
 And again. the miner gets an in crease of only 27 per cent in wages that is what it figures out-while the operator has increased his price from 100 to 200 per cent I would say 150 l per cent would be a conservative esti- l mate.
 JEFFERSON GRAND JURY
 The attention of the whole country 1 is being directed to this form of prof ] iteering. and the present grand jury | in session in the county of Jefferson | ir the heart of the mining district of | Alabama has been admonished by | Judge Fort, the presiding judge of the | court, to make a special investigation | into the profiteering methods of the l y I notice some of the labor leaders are joining the coal and iron operators in the fight. It is hard for me to under stand why the laboring man who pays the taxes on his little home can be | persuaded to assist the big interests to avoid their just share of the tax T burdens. knowing full well that as an to the iron and coal taxes lis own taxes would be raised. He has, been made to believe that if coal and IT on ore is taxed there will be less coal and ore mined and consequently ess work for the miner. The claim is lbsurd. Not one pound less coal and ,re would be mined if the tax is levied. The laboring people have been hood vinked again. It would be amusing if t were not so serious ito watch the laboring men pulling the chestnuts If the interests out of the fire.
 'The same is true of the farmer rhose paid agents are engaged in lighting the battles of the coal and ron kings while making no protest Hhatever against the tprAaSe tax on