The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-19

TIM Pittsburgh. nrinls the follow,
ing from the New York Timex
The senate has recommttted,
that feect d, Senator Freiine,
|huysenis bill 10 encourage seasonal
buying OF coal BY establishing sea.
sonal rates for its transportation
The object Is praiseworthy This
method 10 Objectionable and made
IQuRte as dealing with only one
Fart Of the trouble, and superfluouS
70 the extent that It duplicates ex.
'tsting methods Of fixing coal
freights. There already Is a slid,
ing scale OF coal prices. and prob.
ably It would be well that neglect
to store coal IN idlesmonths agains,
winters needs should be made
more costly by increasing the In
d%ucenent for early purchases.
THE senator thinks that his bill
was killed by propaganda against
It. The Frelinghuysen bill was re.
1ected because 1t regulated a pri.
VRte industry as though It were
public, and because It regulated
sellers without assuming controi
over buyers. 1t could not be made
compulsory on buyers 10 buy coal
when i~ncpnvenlent to thom because
treights we're made less IN one
month than another, 1t ought NOT
TO be made compulsory on sellers
to sell coal more oheaply than Il
can be produced, including the pro.
ducer's estimate OF profit. Cheap.
enipg Of commodities IL not a tune.
ton OF the government, Profits
which are extortionate through con,
spiracy or monopoly already are
forbidden.
"consdmers Of coal remember
what regulation did to them las.
winter. Like everything else, coal
was cheaper when unregulated and
the entsusiasm for regulation has
abated,
ut would be well II coal consum,
ers were sufficiently excited to In,
form themselves OF the facts which
the senator wishes to investigate,
although they have been investigat,
ed almost as often as the question
OF railway rates and wages. The
wages paid the miners are under
contract and should not be reduced
without agreement. Congress has
put the regulation Of freight rates
on coal In the hands OF the Inter,
state Commerce commission, which
is OF the oyininn that the rates
should NOT be altered, though 1t has
the power to alter them II it deems
best. The margin above wages and
rates must bear the cost Of cheap,
ening coal, and It Is not sufficient
TO warrant belief that the situation
can be changed by the mere publ
cation of statistics.
Goal will not be cheaper until
costs ars lower, and costs are fixed
high by regulation. Consumers
were told not to oyerbld during last
years shortage, but their fears
were excessive. This year Their
confidence is excessive. There IL
no rail blockade this year and the
sections which were clamosous last
year are better supplied this year
at would be better II consumers
would buy their coal in a manner
more convenient to producers, but
any idea that they can be com
PEELED to do SO by the statute il
Mistaken
Gross Sales Tax.
The most recent issue OF The
Black Diamond prints the follow
ing In regFrd to the gross sales tai
in West Virginia;
THE new gross Gales tax wen
into effect In West Virginia on July
I and under the terms Of that Law
an annual privilege tax amounting
10 two.thirds Of one per centum O.
all coal produced, to be determined
and ascertained by the value Of the
coal produced as shown by the
gross proceeds derived from tbs
sale thereof, will hereafter have tC
be paid by coal companies and al
others producing coal.
"This tax not only covers actua.
sales, but II any person producing
coal and otherwise liable for an;
tax under this provision Of the Law
shall ship or transport his products
or any part thereof out Of the state
and before making sale of sucf
products shall further manufac
ture, transform or consume the
same, the value of the products Oh
article in the condition or form Ii
which they existed when transport
ed out OF the state, shall be the
basis for the assessment Of the tay
imposed.
1.-THE tax only applies to gross
sales during year over and aboys
$4,000, the first $4,000 being ex
emepted. In all cases except where
the amount Of the tax to be pait
does not exceed 500. the sales tai
is TO be paid in quarterly install
ments."
Daily Shipments
Shipments off the Monongah d.
vision on Monday improved some
what. Lake shipments were 1873
cars while Curtis Bay consignments
were 80.
There were 500 cars Of coal load
ed east and 169 west
Mondays Loading
Coal loaded in the Fairmont re-
gion yesterday totaled 9l9. cars.
This was against 936 last Monday
and 1856 three weeks ago, two
weeks ago having been the Fourth,
Operations on the Monongah divi
sion loaded $40 cars of coal. No
coke was loaded A week before
72S cars were loaded and three
weeks ago ss1.
Along the Monongahela in West
Va Yesterday 2i2 oars wara Ina0aA