The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-02-06
COAL WE|GHING BILL
PLACED on CALENDER
It Requires All Coal Com,
panies to Install
Scales.

panies to Install
Scales.
Especial Dispatch to West virgin;an.)
CHARLESTON. Feb. 6. - After a
spirited debate participated in by near
! " one-fourth OF the delegates. the
House voted So to 16 to consider the
bill requiring all coal companies oper'
ating IN the state to install scales and
pay their employees upon the basis OF
weight and not measure. The bill was
accordingly given place on the cal
endar The committee on mines and
mining had reported the measure with
the recommendation that It do not
pass.
Delegate William E. starcher, OF
Harrison county, opened the debate
with the statement that he had a
"bushel Of kilograms and petitions
from his constituents urging passage
OF the measure. He said there was
demand for such law and felt that
the House ought to consider the bill.
Delegate Moore, of Marshall county,
asked the purpose Of the bill, and Mr..
Starcher replied: 1t means that coal
will be weighed, not guessed It." He
then explained that the state sealer
Of weights and measures may, under
the terms of the measure, be called to
examine the scales Of any mine, at the
instance OF either employer or EN-.
ploye and that the sealer's fees for the
examination shall be paid by the side
found to be in the wrong.
Delegate Thurmond, member OF
the mines and mining committee. said
that the committee had voted unani-
mously to report the bill unfayorably.
and said that not shingle request for
passage Of the bill had come from sec
lions where scales are not now used.
when a miner Is paid by the car, =
said Mr.. Thurmond, che knows when
the car is filled, but when he is paid
by weight, the coal is shot over the
scales in a hurry and the weighmaster
guesses at 1t. Calling attention to the
heavy war burden borne by coal oper-
ators, many Of whom, he said. had
been forced to borrow money to pay
their excess profits taxes, Mr.. Thur
mond asked: rs it right to force these
men to spend half q million dollars to
install scales when there is no popu-
lar demand for it?"
Delegate Vaughn, Of Taylor county.
also member of the committee, said
that Mr.. Thurmond erred in stating
that the committee voted unanimously
to report the bill unfayorably. while
/ am not we'll versed in parliamentary
usages," said Mr.. Vaughn, II know tina.
9 motion was made to report the bill
favorably, and there were five votes
in favor of the motion and six against.
Then motion was put to report 1t I'M
favoraly only one ortwo members
of the tee voted at all"
Deleg.. lizard, one Of the labor
leaders In the House, said he agreed
with Mr.. Thurmond that the cost of
the war fell heavily upon the coal oper-
ators and other employers OF labor, but
said 1t fell Just as heavily upon the
workers.
1 Delegate Luther Anderson, of Nc.
Dowell county, after stating that he
came from a county which produced
one-fifth of all the coal mined in the
state, said: There is not a single
scale in that county, and, SO far as !
know, there is no demand for any.
Coal leaders are the only ones that
will be affected by this bill, and i know
of coal leaders who, IN the last six
months, have made as high as $22 in
single shift. Is there any hardship
there?" Mr.. Anderson said he knew
OF one coal loader, a man who could
neither read nor write, who earned
$1,000 last year, while another &c.
quaintance Of his, a normal school
graduate, earned $500 in the same per
Tod. teaching school,
Agreeing that coal operators Of the
state played a great part in the win
ming OF the war, Delegate Vernon
Fortney, Of Preston county, declared
that when "old Preston sent out its
war call, the miners were the first to
respond"
Delegate Septimus Hall, Of Wetzel
county, Oldest member Of the House
in point OF service, declared. that 1t
was nothing more than Just for all
sides to be heard. THE bill hasn't
been printed yet" lie said. "and don't
know what it contains. 1t ought to be
put on the calendar so that we can give
It fair nsideration."
Recalling that he voted for similar
measure two years ago. Delegate Will
liam S. John, OF Monongalia county,
said that unless he changed his mind
he would vote against the bill this
time. He stated, however, that he was
in favor of putting the bill on the cal
endar and giving 1t consideration. The
cost Of operating mines has mounted
so high, he said, that from twelve to
twenty operations in the SCOTS Run
section OF his county are shut down.
Among those voting to give the bill
a place on the calendar were: Dele.
gates Starcher and Sturm, OF Harri-
son county: Brand and John, Of Mon
ongalia; Miller and Hamilton, Of Ma
rion; Grove, Of Berkeley, and Eur-
kendall, Of Hampshire. Delegates
Morris and Nordney, of Harrison, and
Kern, OF Marion, were recorded as alb.
sent and not voting.
Probing MYSTERY