The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-10-15
TAXES ! RI..AI'I|i. 4.
KENYON Bills
Leonard Echols Of Sixth
District Takes Ex-
ceptions

WASHINGTON, D. c., oct. 10.
Tho latest twin coal regulatory
bills introduced in the Senate by
Senator Kenyon Of Iowa were the
target OF a vigorous analysis and
attack made recently by Repres-
entatiye Leonard s. Echols OF the
Sixth West Virginia district, in
o statement issued to the press.
Mr.. Echols represents one OF
tho largest coal producing dis
tricts in the United States.
The statement given out by him
follows:
Senator Kenyon's Coal Regula.
ton Bills, s. 1857 and S. 1858, in
troduced in the Senate recently, If
enacted into law, would be the
longest stride into the realm OF
government control Socialism
that has been proposed in recent
years. Their titles arc misleading.
One title would easily cover both.
An appropriate title would be "a
Bill to provide useless Jobs, In
crease the cost Of coal to the con-
sumer, confuse and ultimately ma
tionalize the coal industry"
dod not know whether the Sena-
tor is serious in the Introduction
Of these bills. This Is the third
spasm Of senators within the last
year to destroy the coal industry.
Each time that such bills have
been introduced in the Senate they
have come from Senators repres-
enting states which are not coal
producing states. or course, the
State Of Iowa Groduces a small
quantity of an inferior grade Of
coal, but it can hardly be classed
MS a coal producing state, Its an
nual tonnage is only about one
tenth as much as West Virglnia's.
Under the provision of S. 1857.
firms. corporations and partner
ships engaged in the Gotta Industry
will be required to make reports
and some of these must be made
monthly-to ut least five different
lagencies; viz: The Federal Trade
Commission. tho Interstate Com.
merce Commission. the Geological
Survey, the Secretary OF Laobr,
Bureau OF Mines and additional re-
ports may be required by the Fed
eral Trade Commission ana the
Interstate Commerce Commission
! for the use and upon the REQUEST
LOT. the Director of the Geological
Survey. This would require the
coal industry to employ hundreds
IL not thousands OF additional ex-
perts accountants, bookkeepers:,
clerks, stenoGraphers. etc, as..wel
us a few hundred more lawyers to
kadyiso the industry how to keep
within the Apale OF the law, and
then It; would never be possible
to do so. The Federal Trade Com
mission and the Interstate Com
merce Commission are given
power to make such rules and reg
ulations US they please In the
premises.
s. 255S permits a maximum
profit OF fifty cents and mini
mum OF twenty-five cents per ton
| to the producer, while it allows
the coal broker a maximum of
forty cents and minimum OF
twelve and one-half cents per ton.
Such margin Of profit is wholly
negotiable, even If the margin to
the coal producer were fair. The
coal broker has no investment OF
any consequence, while the produ-
Ger has millions invested in the
/ industry. The broker takes no
chance Of loss except in the pur-
chase OF a typewriter and a desk,
while the producer must invest in
sufficient acreage OF coal purchase
ed or leased to justify the install
lation Of plants at 4 tremendous
cost. The unjust discrim-
nation seems to have never
been thought Of by the craftsman
Of the bill. In fixing the items OF
cost the producer is not permit
ted to include income and excess
profits taxes or salaries. Why
don't some Of those philantropic
gentlemen get themselves a coal
mine and operate it without paying
salaries and taxes. Reasonable
salaries are as much necessity
in the cost of producing coal as
is the payment OF the miners
wages. -,
| uS EHhGL14Sl4b VI SAAOSS 49,
into law not only mean a tremen-
dous additional cost in the pro-
auction and sale Of coal to the
producer, but It means the employ
ment Of thousands of additional
federal agents WHO know nothing
about tho business to continually
annoy and harrass those engaged in
producing coal; it may be said
that S. 2557 will not he invoked
except in case Of emergency.
Those Interested in tho advance.
ment OF socialism will readily Gre
ate the emergency. No one would
contend that an emergency greater
| than the recent war Is likely to
occur within the next generation,
and yet that emergency did not
| Justify government control of the
railroads. The cost to tho ship
pers and taxpayers of the coun-
try and the lack of efficiency in
their operation have been entirely