Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-09-21
Lewis Declares CouutIes Are Dis
Criminated Against In Rates.

From Hagerstown Mail.
Rectihcation of the Maryland coal rates
will mean areductiOn Of approximately 81
a ton to consumers in Washington, Fred
erick aud Montgomery Counties, David j.
Lewis, Democratic candidate for Congress
said today in commenting upon the plank
IN which he has declared for relief Of the
coal mining section OF Maryland. THIS
plank is one Of his principal ones and with
the same attention he gave TO the Parcel
Post measure when he was in Congress la
1912 promised, il he is elected. the people
of Western Maryland will not long be pay
ing dollar extra for each ton Of coal they
use. just because certain officials In Wash
ingtOn are DESTROYS of giving Kentucky
coal baTOns. 500 miles further away from
the market. an equal rate with the Mary
land mined coal
Mr. Lewis believes that there is no rea-
SON why Maryland mined coal. 500 niles
closer to the markets. should be discrimi.
mated against. Kentucky coal can be ship
ped 500 more miles TO the tidewater
markets at the same rates as Maryland
coal II is this discrimination in freight rates
that Mr.. Lewis. himself once a coal miner.
is determined TO rectify.
Supporters of Lewis recall his tTium-
phant one man fight for effective parcel
post system and believe that Lewis will
find a way to force the end Of this dlscrimi-
nation In view Of the fact that both
major parties ut their national conventions
declared that they were ready 10 assist Ia
any feasible plan for the sterilization Of
the coal mining industry which will work
with Justice TO the miners. consumers and
uroduceIs, and 20 remove the restrictions
which destroy its prosperity.
IL is obvious that any change in these rates
brings up an abstruse and difficult subject,
in which Congress actually let's the Inter
stale Commerce Commission have full
sway. But Lewis friends, recalling his
mastery OF the parcel post question and his
forcing of an effective parcel post system
into being, hold he has the ability to right
the coal rate situation too.
Parcel Post is an old story nowadays, OF
course, but the way II came into being IS
still dramatic one.
Lewis. the -minebfaker boy who had
studied law at night while mining coal by
day, first came TO the House in 1911 as IN
conspicuous as many another membet-
perhaps more so. for he is only about i've
feet tall. By the law Of averages. the
chances Of his becoming any more con-
spicuOus within six or eight years was
almost nil. But before his first term was
ended parcel post had brought him his
spurs as a national figure.
The question had been agitated-and
bitterly fought by the express companies -
for many years before Lewis entered the
House ia 1911 the agitation had reached
the point where bill by Representative
Sulzer. late Governor OF New York. had
gained considerable support.
Lewis started studying this measure one
day in his first term. particularly comparing
the rates with current express CHARGES.
He found the purposes Of the measure
highly appealing aud interesting. but the
rates proposed higher than those Of the
express companies,
Immediately Lewis tackled the subject