Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-20
COAL BILL OPINION
ATTEMPT BEATEN
House Group Votes Down
Proposal to Obtain Cum
mingS' Idea.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A proposal to obtain Attorney Gen.
eral Cummings opinion on the consti-
nationality of the Guffey-Snyder coal
sterilization bill was voted down today
by House Ways and Means Sub
committee
The plan was suggested by Repre-
sentative Treadway, Republican, of
Massachusetts,. He broke into pro-
longed testimony on the bills market
ing provisions with an assertion that
the measure appeared unconstitu-
tional in view of the Supreme Courts
N. r. A. decision.
The Guffey-Snyder bill would create
a little N R. A" for the bituminous
industry.
Proponents contend it is in accord
with the NJ r. A. decision in that it
contains no extraordinary delegation
of legislative power to the Executive
branch of the Government. They say
coal mining clearly affects Interstate
Commerce.
why not begin where we should
begin?" Treadway asked. "* l
would like to hear an impartial
opinion on the bills conStitutionality.'
Representative Hill, Democrat, of
Washington, subcommittee chairman,
said an opinion from the Justice De-
partment has no more legal weight
than the opinions of the lawyers who
have testified for and against the bill.
Operators in Opposition.
Spokesman for the railroads. the
National Association of Manufacturers,
the United States Steel Corp and some
soft coal operators, meanwhile, maSsed
opposition against the bill.
The Operators Committee Against
the Guffey Bill in a statement yes
terday. declared so per cent of the
operators are opposed to the legisla-
ton The statement follows:
The agreement reached at the
request of the President last Saturday
provided only for the withdrawal of
a strike order issued by the United
Mine Workers and an agreement on
the part of producers to continue to
operate their mines on existing wage
scales and working conditions until
June 80. June "a was fixed for a
wage conference. The agreements
reached had no relation to the Guffey
bill.
THE coal producers who are
against the Guffey bill are ready to
negotiate wage agreements and are
donna T1diro from the
price-fixin as a consideration for
making such agreements with their
employees.
THE wage agreement with the en-
ployeS has been withheld and DELHI
erately delayed for the purpose of
bringing pressure on Congress to pass
this legislation.
Division of Opposition.
"a careful survey of the industry to
ascertain the attitude of operators re-
total production of 358, 1893 900 tons
in 1884, 216,404,095 tons. or 60.381
per cent, is against the bill. and the
remaining 141 ,988, 905 tons is for the
bill, unknown or noncommittal. In
this latter figure there is a substantial
tonnage that cannot be claSsed as
either for or against the bill.
"Of the 26 coal-producing States,
only two show a substantial tonnage
in favor of the Guffey bill. In one of
the States the predominating attitude
of the operators is undetermined, and
in two States the operators are
approximately equally divided. In
each of the remaining 81 coal-produc-
ing States, all or an. overwhelming
majority Of the tonnage was found
to be against the bill.
THE States that do not produce
coal, as we'll as the producing States,
will have to bear the large increased
costs that are certain under this bill.
1.-THE Guffey bill tends to create a
monopoly under Federal control and
represents the most vicious type Of
class legislation"