New-York tribune., 1921-02-02
Calder May Force
Action on Coal Bill
Under Cloture Rule
Sponsor Prepares to Fight
Senate Filibuster, Which
Is Indicated by Strong
Opposition i'm Committee

From The Trfbune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. - Senator
Calder will make use Of the cloture
rule in the Senate If necessary in
order to force vote on his coal bill,
now pending before the Committee on
Manufactures.
The committee, Of which. Senator
La Toilette is chairman, has been hold
ing hearings on the bill for several
days, and the coal operators, dealers
and other opponents are charged with
attempts to delay the measure.
Senator Calder and other advocates
of the bill are anxious to expedite it,
realizing that otherwise it will be
caught in the rush of legislation dur
ing the last part of February and early
March and killed. Tney nope for an
early and favorable report from the
committee.
1t is said the overwhelming majority
of the committee is for the bill, but
there also is determined opposition,
and if this shows signs Of fiiibuster
the cloture rule will be attempted
Senator Calder is not insisting that
his bill be reported out as it stands.
He is much more anxious to get gov
ernment regulation and publicity in
ciple than he is to obtain all he has
asked for in the original bill.
Elkins Opposes U. S. Control
Senator Davis Elkins, of West Vir-
ginia, is one of the Senators rlgidly
opposed to the Calder coal bill. He
gave out an interview in which he
Ia
tion of business. Senator Sutherland,
of West Virginia, also has declared
against the Calder bill.
Senator Elkins to-day said:
One of the undoubted causes for the
voters Of the country turning en- masse
to the Republican party last November
was that they were heartily sick and
tired of the intrusion of the, govern
ment into private business. From vir-
tual ownership of railroads to running
war workers hotels in Washington the
result was the same-dislocation of
business, stupendous waste and eco.
nomic chaos. The people turned to the
| Republican party for relief. expecting
and demanding an end Of socialistic
and paternalistic adventures on the
part of the Federal government into
| prise.
Packers Bill ImpracticabIe
"It is to be hoped that the Cong. ess
elected last November will understand
that that is what should be read from
the verdict Of the voters. This -ex-
piring Congress apparently placed nc
such Interpretation on the election re-
turns. There is evidence of it in the
passage by the Senate of the so-called
packers bill and of the apparent ex-
cited haste to shove through the Calder
coal control bill. The packers bill is
to give livestock raisers better prices
wholesale and retail meat dealers lower
prices and higher profits and the ujti,
mate consumer cheaper prices. Ill
three of these interests clamored fol
the law with faith as great as it was
absurdly impracticable.
The same applies 10 the coal in.
dustry, the bituminous part of which
deem. myself thoroughly familia,
with. After meat and coal, it is evi-
IDENTIFY the plan of many to force the
government into The clothing, shoe and
other lines of business, which private
degree of efficiency. Decentralizing
at Washington have become mania
is apparently government ownership
and control of all private business and
enterprise.
81 voted against the packers bill
and expect to vote against the Calder
bill and all legislative propositions of
that variety. 1t is time we start on the
work of fulfilling Senator Harding's
promise to the country to return to
noYma{cV'o