The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-30
NEW ENGLAND TO
FIGHT COAL TAX
Joins With New York I'm OPP.
position to Pennsyl-
vania's Levy
NAME COMMITTEE
TO START CAMPAIGN
Attorney General Archibald Attends
Conference in BOstOn-Claimed Tax
of 80 Cents Ton Is Unconstitutional
Might BE COnflscatOry.

VI
Might BE COnfiscatOry.
BOSTON. Sept. 30.-A committee OF
three was appointed yesterday at a con-
ference at the state house of legal repre-
sentatives of New England states and
New York, to confer with Pennsylvania
and federal officials regarding the recent
PENNSYLVANIA legislation imposing an addi-
tional tax on anthracite coal. The COM
mittee consists of Attorney General New
ton of New York, chairman, Attorney Gen
eraI Young of New Hampshire and Attor-
new General Allen of Massachusetts.
The committee was authorized to con-
fer with the attorney general and other
public officials of Pennsylvania ana WIN
Tho department of Justice with regard TO
federal questions which might DE IN
voIved. and to determine what furtheT
stems might be taken against the tax anu
To improve the coal situation. The COM
mittee will report at conference, the
| date of which is to be set by Attorney
| General Allen.
There was q general discussion oL Inc
| coal situation in New England ana New
| York. in which Eugene G. Huffman, Mas,
sachusetts fuel administrator, presented
| informal ton obtained by him regarding the
of coal in New England.
Attorney General Allen presided at yes
| tprday's conference. Others in attendance
were Attorney General Charles -. New
| ton and Deputy Attorney General - L
| Dawes of New York, Attorney General
oscar l.. Young of New Hampshire, Attor-
| ney General f. C. Archibald of Vermont
| Attorney General Ransford W. Shaw ol
Maine William S. Hyde, commissioner oil
labor ana factory inspection OF Connecu
cut. NJ. Huffman and Assistant Attor
Ineys General Alexander Lincoln ana Ed
win II. Abbott, jr., of Massachusetts
Would BE COnfiscatOry.
Mr.. Hultman's statement before the
conference was in part as follows:
| IF the tax imposed by the stare OF
PENNSYLVANIA on anthracite coal is not
defeated there is nothing to prevent botl
this tax being increased. at the pleasure ol
the state of Pennsylvania or tax LEVIED
on bituminOus coal by the states of Penn
Isvlyania and West Virginia which will b'
practically confscation by them If oui
! industries.
THE present tax is of tremendous i'm
| portance financially. In the coal veal
l1916-17 New England received 9,S93OOC
| tons and New York 1J,S70,0OO, total o
! %. 763. 900 tons of domestic size anthra
| cite coal. In this period the entire dIstrl
IbutiOn was 57ST9, 900 tons, all of which
/ comes from Pennsylvania. Our share o.
Il this distribution was 40 per cent.
While the production of anthracite
shown by the United States geological sur
vey is 9O,OO0000 tons a year, from 20 Il
- per cent Of this production Is not o
the domestic sizes which we use. From
- 10 - per cent of the total production
il is therefore sold as steam sizes. There
| fore. the - per cent of domestic size
must bear the entire tax, as the tax 1
levied on the entire production of tn
mines.
Would Add 30 Cents a Ton.
|"Reliable authorities in the trade hav,
estimated tSat the two taxes passed b,
the legislature Of Pennsylvania will COS
the consumer from 30 to 80 cents per ton
The state Of Pennsylvania imposed
tax on anthracite coal in 1915 very simI
lar To the present act. This later was de
clared to be unconstitutional. All tn
producers collected an amount equal t
this tax After the decision of the cour
| some producers refunded and others di'
not, but in any case so far as | have beer
able to find the refund never reached tn
Il ultimate consumer.
I'm the present instance operators VIII
have increased their price on account o
this tax have not shown to their custom
erS the increase as a tax, but have simpl.
increased the price at the mine withOu
specifying what the increase is base
upon. Therefore, the retail dealers cOul
not recover any of this excessive amour
paid by them to the producer. even if thi
10. !