The New York herald., 1921-01-14
Senator Calder's Coal Control.

/ Senator CALDER'S bill for the con-
troll of the coal industry deals with
matter of transcendent Importance to
the country. Not merely the comfort
and health of the American house
holder living north Of the frost belt
are dependent upon the supply and
the price of fuel; upon them hangs in
] the balance the industrial life Of the
nation. 'And there rs no blinking the
hard, cold fact that during the sore
economic trials of the United States
the selfishness, greed and even inhu-
manity of this business by and through
have been a national scandal and a
public peril.
Whether this debauch of profiteer-
ing ought to be stopped is. not worth
discussing. 1t is going to be stopped.
The debatable question Is how the
soonest and most effectually to~do the
job. This brings us to consideration
of the merits and defects of the Cal
der bill.
Careful examination of Senator
CALDER's legislation seems to US to
show, probably through no fault OF
his, that 1t does not amount to much
as strong arm measure. Ninety to
80 per cent. of the very extended text
is given up to declarations of purpose,
definitions of terms and provisions
for collecting data, making reports
and spreading information. Pitiless
publicity is thus made possible and
perhaps easy. But pitiless publicity
in the recent past has not appeared to
spear the hearts of Unsuitable prof
iteers, of whatever breed or calling,
any more frequently than spring show
ers torture the backs of ducks.
The idea Of curbing the profteer by
laying heavily graduated tax on
profits above fifteen cents a ton need
have no terrors for fair and square
dealers. We have just seen, however,
how terrific taxes raised the mischief
with the public cost of living.
The kick of the Calder gun is in
Section Il, authorizing a license sys-
TEN and also providing as follows:
THAT whenever the Federal Trade
Commission shall determine that an
emergency exists or threatens In the
coal industry and supply. which seems
likely to produce a shortage or bring
about unusual or unwarranted or un-
reasonable prices and when
I such findings shall be confirmed by
i the President, the President Is hereby
authorized to declare the exist
ence OF an emergency and
he Is hereby empowered. thereupon,
to fix maximum coal prices and deal
ers' commissions and margins
which prices. commissions and mar
gins so fxed shall continue only untn
no ehali declare the emergency to
have passed.
The President is hereby authorized
in any such emergency to deal in coal
at reasonable prices and TO control
the production. movement and distri-
button OF coal In such manner and to
such extent as he shall deem neces-
sary." &C.
Such grant Of power, though OBJ
viously only momentary makeshlft,
looks on the face of 1t drastic enough.
But the question Immediately arises
as to the permanent validity Of that
grant. We mean after the war Is
over and automatically the special
war powers now in force elapse. For
we assume this is another variation
in peace of war time emergency
measures.
No doubt Congress legal lights as
well as coal trade lawyers already
are bending their intellectuals to a
|. study of this aspect of the bill. Per-
haps Senate genius that Is versed In
fundamental law may take the meas
ure i'm committee and shape it into
something more permanent as to both
its application and its potency. Per-