The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-04-20
Charges Coal Men
With High Handed
Work In Committee
With Three Senators Waver-
ing, Deadlock On Taxation
Looms Up - Weiss Wins
Point In the House
By J. 3. REED

l'NLri"~t"u. Air. Ex-senator Jesse 4.
E!"r'. Of OHIO county. who Is leading
the fight against tn" gross sales tax
hi:I in The senate" stated tonight that he
did not consider t?lay'S reverses at al
Indicative "f III" final results. or even
think tho vote taken was real test OF
.;tr"ns,h.
"Th. methods employed today by the
coal interests ard their Legislative sup
2"r,crs." il" said - just another ex-
ample ur the high handed manner in
which th"y have attempted TO push this
ian pili OVER on the public.
There are a few things l want 10
MAX" public concerning the committee
action taken on the gross sales BIZ!
whirn WAS reported today. The com
mittco WAS supposed to have met this
morning. There were hardly any Of the
members vino favor u prfMuct!on tax
present. Tho latest compromise bill was
taken Up. Non" of US who had not had
4 shar" IN drafting it had ever seen =.
u was never before the committee unit!
t"Ga%. without Il senate hearing OF
tn" matter and practically w!t!,,ut COM
mit;cc discussion. the majority Of tn"
committee uTrrr"dc all protests and re-
ported on tIe bill.
The rr"duct!pr tax supporters hao
Il bar" tw" hours in which 10 discuss
the matt.r. The minority Of the COM
Inittce decided [" report al the same
iiirc arl with Senators ShaCkleford.
Sl,inn. Bowers and Burr, ] brought re-
port b"for" the body at large. Such
buried actions naturally prevented the
perfection "I any organization and S.
coday's Sk!rmish WAS lost.
Will Regain Strength
"I'roducji"n lax advocates found tha:
they were in much closer quarters thar
they had been expecting when the frs;
t"~I or strength. came in the senate this
afternoon. When inc smoke had cleared
away. they found themselves short twc
votes OF tho necessary number. but as
sert that these will be regained before
the final vote ard say that the gross
sa les shall not PISS"
The next move is TO permit thc motion
10 reject In" bl! 10 come before the
senate in it's regular order. following
.!e defeat Of Senator Jesse \. Biorh'S
motion for immediate consideration to-
cay inst what will " the result or
the vrrv a7paren, jockcying for posi-
tion such as is now being carried on l.
very d"'lbtfr!. !; seems that III" dead
lock over the tax question whtNh' has
been discussed for 80 .oHS viii he
reality.
Three Votes Absent.
Th"rr were three men who did H.
vote At today's test. They ~er" Scna-
tor Carl y. Hunter If MoundsTill%;
Senator NJ. V. Godh.y Of Charleston.
aud senator 4. l.. Hclmick Of Tucker
rc.rt,. Gross sales TN supporters
stat. .h", ihey have all three Of these
:l.% =. iN.:r ranks. Senator Hunters
position is generally conceded to be
,iuubtful however. as Is that OF Godbs:'
who is normally 4 direct tax supporter.
Eoth Of these mon yer" in the senate
rooms toGa" wlren IN" vote was taken.
hu. rctus.i :" Commi; themselves. S.:
a;or H-.mcN IS a shown advocate Of IT,"
gross SaieS tax. and is absent on i'm
r,o-tant business. If these men are a.!
gross sales tax supporters the prodCc'
TOR tax GS apparently hanging IN Ia:
narrow cdsc OF disaster. There are
thrc,. ,nnr on thr other side OF the fence
whose pos. .tlon ~ just as doubtful! Is.
th.. iHr"A who did not vote. They arc
Senator r. b. iIill OF M!ddlebournG.
whose comments have always been
rather favorable 20 the production tan.
Senator Harry -. Shaffer Of Boone
county. who has been expected &c take
up his position among tho production
tax supporters, ana S:Tai'I I.hb'tt i''
Stats Of parI.crshurG. who has be.n
classci since early in the session as
oppoecd 10 the gross sales bill. Botn
lUl and S;aais explained their votes
by saying that they wished time 10 30
INTO the matter before taking any pos.
t.nu on II.
Delegate &. ". McClintic- house lead
r- and strong advocate Of the gross
,t!ns tax refuted charges that an at
tempt was being made TO delay acsi"n
on N. tax bill today by introducing a
resolution which vii! he voted upon &C.
morrow whrrrhy tn" tax bill with tho
aprrup-ia;iJn and road bills would re-
.r:vr first consideration during the
rest Of tho session.
Depletion TAI Not Lost
Tho preliminary sk!rm!sh today Is not
10 b. 'akea as Indicating defelt OF the
dcplctiun tax bills. It does show con-
CONTINUED on Pags Tony