The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-13

Washington. The telegram wa
secretary of the Alabama Coal {
Henry r. DeBardeleben. president OF
! the DeBardeleben Coal company, an
swered a telegram from Senator LaFol-
lette to the same effect stating that he
was ready to appear for his company
with all records and papers, provided
he was given until Wednesday in which
to ship the books and travel to the
capital.
These messages were sent last night in
response to telegram from Senator La
Toilette in response to a request from Mr..
DeBardeieben to appear before the com
mttee and answer certain hearsay testi-
mony given some days ago by Repressn-
tative Huddleston of this district in which
he made certain statements and charges
which Mr. DeBardeleben declared to be
untrue.
In reply which was filed with the
telegraph company in Washington at 40
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, business
holiday throughout the country, Senator
LaFollette told Mr.. QeBardeleben he
might appear, provided he would have
the secretary of the Coal Operators as
sociation before the committee in Wash
! ington Monday with all books, papers,
records, price lists, purchases, production
| for the last nine years Other stipula
lions made by Senator .aFollette re-
qured a vast collection of documents and
papers from every coal operator in Ala
bama.
UTTER IMPOSSIBILITY
In his reply, Mr.. DeBardeleben set out
| the utter impossiblity of an appearance
in Washington Monday morning with all
these documents which, it was esti-
l H. S,rrt-t s.nr &C
to carry, and which would have to be
collected from warehouses and storage
rooms all over the mineral district.
Both Mr. DeBardeleben and Mr.. David
son expressed their willingness to APP
pear before the committee without delay,
Mr.. DeBardeleben naming Wednesday or
any date thereafter as entirely satsfac-
tory to him.
Considerable surprise was expressed by
the coal operators over the fact that the
senator should have sent a telegram
after business hours on Saturday nam
ing Monday morning in Washington as
the time and place for the hearing ana
specifying the presentation at that time
of such a vast accumulation OF DOCKS
papers and documents. One peculiar
feature of the affair was that it was re-
ceived by newspapers in Birmingham
over the wire before the senator even
gave it to the telegraph company IN
Washington for transmission. In order
that the facts might be known, Mr. De-
Bardeleben made request that the tele-
grams passing between himself and SEN
ator LaFollette be made part OF the
record unless he was allowed time IN
which to appear.
While the stenographic copy of the
charges of Representative Huddleston
has not yet been received in Birming-
ham, extracts from his testimony show
that he made practically the same
charges he did during the war when the
department of justice made an lnvestl-
CATION, but found the facts different from
rnose alleged by the Birmingham con-
gresham. 1t is stated by local coal OPP
orators that the price named by MI Huo-
dleston as the one at which coal was
being sold at the mines in Alabama IS
double that being charged by the lead
| ing operators of this district.
REQUESTS HEARING
Upon receiving information regarding
the testimony of Mr.. Huddleston yester-
day, Mr.. DeBardeleben sent the follow
| ing telegram to Senator LaFoilette:
February Il, 1871.
| SENATOR r. NJ LaFollette, Washing
! ton, d. c.:
! "Attention Alabama coal operators
| has been called to testimony before
your committee of Representative
| Huddleston, Alabama. concerning cost
and selling price Alabama coal year
4 1920 and we request opportunity 10
| appear before your committee TO SUD-
NIT facts which will effectively con-
| troyert the charges made by Hud-
| dleston in his testimony. Please wire
date your committee will hear our
| facts. ANY day after Wednesday next
| would be preferred.
LAFOLLETTE'S REPLY
..HENRY T. DEBARDELEBEN.
| The answer of Senator LaFollette ad-
dressed to Henry T. DeBardeieoen,' as
president of the Alabama Coal opera
| tors association, which was fied III
Washington yesterday afternoon AFTER
Birmingham newspapers had received the
message over the wires, follows:
Committee will give opportunity for
| hearing Alabama Coal Operators as
! sociation on Monday, February H.
| upon condition that the secretary OF
| the association and the custodian OF
| its books and papers appear and pro-
duce originals of all books, papers,
records from 1912 to 1874, showing Sc,
lect prices, purchaers, proouclion anu
operating costs OF me" ocrs VI .;-sd
| citation existing in 1912 or orsanizeu
since. Also associations minutes
| hooks of account and other BOOKS
| and records showing its receipts ana
disbursements and other activities for
said period; also profits and copies OF
| income tax returns Committee ue-
sires to close hearings and VIII NOS
| continue same except for productioh
Of original detailed evidence as
| stated" ..u.,r,
reply last night:
Observation-Disclosures ANSWER
.Answerinp your telegram just re-
ceived and directed to me as pres
ident of Alabama Coal operators
association. l wired you yesterday as
an Individual requesting an emporium
ity to refute charges made TINS week
before your committee by Huooiestoh
against Alabama coal operators, m
GLIDING my company. the Debaroe-
leben Coal company.
Your reply is directed TO me as
I president of the Alabama Coal Oper-
ators association. I am not now ana
never have been an official Of that
association. My company. is a men,
Der of the association, but has never
furnished to it any information, rec
ords or papers relating TO selling
prices, purchasers, cost OF produc-
ton, profits or income tax reports,
nor do l believe that this association
has ever asked or received any such
information from any of its men,
bers.
The National Coal association has
never asked for nor received any
such information from my company
nor do l believe that any other Ala
bama operators have been asked for