Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-12
.GUFFEY COAL BILL
APPROVED, Z TO Il
Two House Committeeman
Answer present" on
Sterilization Plan.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Guffey coal sterilization bill
was approved by the House Ways and
Means Committee today by a II to II
vote. Two members answered pres
emit T.
Eleven Democrats and one Repub-
lican voted for the bill, six Repub-
licans and five Democrats against it.
Representatives Mccormack. Dem
CORA. of Massachusetts,. and Disney,
Democrat, of Oklahoma were re-
ported as the members who merely
answered present" when their names
were called
A new draft. embodying amend
ments already made public, will be
reported formally to the House After
the committee meeting Chairman
Doughton expressed doubt it would be
possible to begin consideration on the
floor before Thursday.
Long Deadlock Broken.
The committees approval broke a
two-month deadlock. President RooSe-
welt has asked Congress to pass the
legislation despite doubts-"hoWever
reasonable" to its constitution
ality.
The bill would set up a national
commission to enforce wage. hour,
fair trade practice and price fixing
regulations for the soft coal industry.
A tax would be levied against
operators to insure compliance. Most
of it would be returned to complying
operators.
Mr.. Roosevelt on several occasions
has forestalled a threatened strike in
the soft coal industry by promising
to push the Guffey bill.
The closely divided vote on the bill
was reported to have been as follows:
Democrats for the bill-Doughton
of North Carolina, Samuel B. Hill OF
Washington, Cullen of New York, Sui
Ivan of New York, Lewis of Mary
land. Vinson of Kentucky, Boehne of
Indiana. Bucl: of California. Duncan
of Missouri. Brooks of Pennsylvania
and Dingell of Michigan. Total, IL.
Republican for-Jenkins of Ohio.
Total for-l2.
Democrats against - Sanders of
Texas. Cooper of Tennessee, Fuller Of
Arkansas. Lamneck of Ohio, Thomp-
son of Illinois. Total. 5.
Republicans against - Treadway CT
Massachusetts,, Bacharach of New Jer-
Sey, Crowther of New York, KnutSon
of Minnesota. Reed of New York and
Woodruff of Michigan. Total. 6.
Total against-11.
Present Mccormack of Massachu-
sets and Disney of Oklahoma, both
Democrats.
Mine Purchases Rejected.
As originally introduced the bill
proposed to authorize a $500, 900 900
appropriation to buy up some coal
mines and keep them out of produc-
ton. A Ways and Means Subcom-
mittee voted to eliminate that section
and the full committee upheld its
action.
The original bill would have levied
tax of Is per cent of the value of
coal at the mouth OF the mine, but
stipulated that those producers who
agreed to the prescribed standards
should be allowed a SO per cent re-
bate The committee, however, re-
duced the tax to Is per cent and the
rebate to 30 per cent
The committee also wrote in a sec
ton creating consumers counsel to
act in an advisory capacity.
The legislation first was suggested in
midJune.
Roosevelt Writes Letter.
In an effort to meet that situation,
President Roosevelt wrote letter to
Chairman Samuel B. Hill, Democrat.
of Washington stressing the need for
some control over the coal industry.
The President asserted arguments on
both sides of the constitutionality
question were numerous and commended
the decision should be left to the
courts.
Finally the subcommittee agreed to
report the bill to the full committee
without recommendation, except as to
amendments which were accepted
today.
Doubt whether the bill would pass
the House was expressed by some lead
ers recently after poll of Democratic
members. They said, however, ia
vorable committee report such as that
voted today probably would swing
enough votes to pin passage.