Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-21
CROSSER DECLARES
WAR ON COAL UNIT
Ohio Representative to Lead
Fight to Force Dealers to
Use Ton Prescribed by Law.

Emphatically declaring that coal deal
erS of Washington in their decision TO
sell coal by a 2,000-pound unit in the
District of Columbia have done so
with a thorough realization that they
have been violating the law" Repre-
sentative Robert CroSser of Ohio, re-
iterated today that he will lead de-
termined fight in Congress for enforce
ment of the mandate of Congress that
coal shall be sold by the long ton,
consisting of 2,240 pounds"
He points out that the Constitution
itself gives Congress specific authority
to fix the standard of weights and
measures" and raises the question
whether I'VE be governed by the agency
OF organized society or shall each in
terest be allowed to do as it pleases."
In discussing the question of the unit
of weight for the sale of coal in the
District of Columbia today, Representa-
tive Crosser said:
Quotes Dealers.
Further Investigation has convinced
me beyond any doubt that the disregard
of the act of March 3, 1921, by some OF
the coal dealers of Washington has
been with thorough realization of the
fact that they have been violating the
law. That I am fully warranted in
making this statement is shown by the
statements issued recently by different
dealers. One dealers circular says:
Two thousand pounds of coal cannot
be sold in the District of Columbia as
a ten" because the legal ton here is
2,240 pounds
"Another's circular uses the follow
ing language: 1t is most important
that you do not refer to this new
2,000-pound unit as ton. Forget this
word ton until such time as we can
get Congress to give us the net ton of
1000 pounds Mandatory instructions
are then given to retailers as to their
procedure when customer inquiries
about the price of ton of coal This
company says to its retailers: You must
say: I'VE have discontinued selling coal
by the ton. We are now selling coal
by the unit Of 1000 pounds. The price
of q 2,000-pound unit is, etc"
Charges Law Violated.
mo thoughtful person can read the
language contained in these state
ments without seeing clearly that those
making the statements realized fully
that they were making great effort to
satisfy themselves if not the public that
they had evaded the plain mandate OF
the law. That mandate is contained in
the following language of the act:
Section 8 Coal shall be mot
may be- sold by the long ton, consist
ing of two thousand two hundred and
forty pounds
Now this mandate of Congress may
be denounced by the dealers as unrea-
sonable and so forth, but until it is
changed it is the law. To argue that
other States provide for the sale of
coal by the 2,000-pound ton, and there
fore local dealers are determined to sell
coal on the same basis, Notwithstanding
the act, which has been quoted, is a
bald attempt to uphold anarchy. We
would SOON have no law observance if
such a notion were to be upheld.
a., Refers to Constitution.
1.-THE statute in question may be very
distasteful to some coal dealers and
may irritate them very much, but that
does not justify them in assuming that
they can decide what shall be law for
the people of the District of Columbia.
The Constitution does not say that the
coal dealers of Washington shall have
power to fix the standard OF weights
and measures. Paragraph 5 of Section
8 of Article I OF the Constitution does
say, however
1.-The Congress shall have power to
fix the standard of weights and
measures.
THE question is, shall we be govern
ed by the agency of organized society
or shall each interest be allowed to do
as 1t pleases? Shall we have law or