Evening star., 1922-08-31
VOTE 0NCOAL BILL.
!. IS EpLANNED TODAY
Way IS Cleared for Passage
After All Amendments
Are Defeated.

The House was expected to reach a
vote today on the administration coal
distribution bill, which stood un-
changed in the face of attempts to
put through various amendments.
After every change proposed had
been either thrown out on q point OF
order or decisively defeated yester-
day, Chairman winslow Of the inter-
state commerce committee, who was
in charge of the measure, predicted
Ii would go through AZ framed. n
vote on the bill yesterday was pre-
vented by an unexpected flood Of de-
bate late in the day.
Amendments Defeated.
All amendments to the administrp-
ton coal distribution bill were re-
jected by the House yesterday-either
thrown Iout on a point OF order or
decisively defeated.
AS the House worked on the measure
which its supporters claimed was all
the legislation needed to meet the
emergency caused ~ the coal and
rail strikes. word reached leaders that
attempts to settle the anthracite tie
up might succeed. and that the SEN
ate was ready TO take up House coal
bills as soon as il was through with
the bonus
President Harding's original suE-
gestion tor creation OF buying and
selling coal agency was put before
the House by Representative Ander-
son, republican. Minnesota. with a
provision indirectly authorizing seiz-
ure Of mines. If found necessary in
connection with agency activities, but
it went out on point of order. Ad-
vised that an amendment authorizing
the President to take over railroads
nd mi in nf n A.
cessity," would go out in the same
swift fashion. members favoring such
legislation announced that nothing
| was to be gained by counting certain
/ rejection.
! with little ceremony. the House
voted down an mendmeEt delegating
the distribution powers to the Inter-
! state Commerce Commission in place
of federal fuel distributor, and a
moment later rejected an amendment
| fixing the distributors, salary at
$500: Chairman Winsiow asserted
| that it was "a mans job" and that
the President ought not to be ham,
! pered by restrictions which might force
/ him to select one untitled for the task.
4, Representative Farchild, republic
I can, New York, found few supporting
f, his proposal that coal distributed
| should be sold at a reasonable price
| to the ultimate consumer" An un-
successful attempt was made by Rep
resentative Denison, republican, Illi-
nois, to strike out what some mem
bers characterized as the heart of the
bill, this being the provision that the
fuel distributor. in trying to NEE; the
emergency. should prevent extortion
in prices charged for coal and other
fuel
/ Freight Cut Refused.
An amendment by Representative
Bois. republican, Iowa, which would
have ordered a so per cent reduction
| in the freight rate on coal. to begin
before Its reading had been conciud-
ed. Representative Graham. repub-
lican. Pennsylvania, also failed to get
through an amendment limiting the
life Of the fuel distributor to six or
twelve months. and the proposal that
this officers appointment should be
confirmed by the Senate was defeated
after. Chairman Winslow had explain
| ed 1t was calculated to cause delay
in getting the machinery under way.
Some members also tried to have
the House strike out Of the bill the
! fare" but the committee thought they
ought to stay and they stayed.
The principal attack on the bill
yesterday was by Representative
of the committee which framed it
while Representative Barkley. demo-
.crat, Kentucky. and Representative
Graham, republican. Illinois, also
members Of the committee. supported
the measure. Mr.. Rayburn insisted
that it would have the effect of cur
ailing production, while Mr.. Barkeley
and Mr.. r.t7Graham declared . grave
emergency existed and that Congress
ought to meet 1t without thought OF
partisanship.
Closing the debate, Chairman Wins
low informed the House that In the
presence of his committee he had
talked over the telephone with the
President and that the President was
heartily in favor of the bill, believ-
ing it would enable the government
to handle 1.-THE most fragrant cases
through its operation"