Evening star., 1935-06-16
Plan to Stabilize
Soft Coal Mining
By HARDEN CoLFAx.

A proposal which many believe Of
fers the great national industries q
way out of the confusion that followed
the Supreme Courts decision on the
N.R. A. Is embodied in the Guffey bill
for the sterilization of soft Goa
mining.
However the N. r. A, may have
failed of its purpose in other parts oi
the country, there seems to be no dis
sent from the Judgment Of the Goa
mine operators Of the Appalachian
region (including Pennsylvania, Mary
land, Virginia, West Virginia, Northern
Tennessee, Western Kentucky and
Ohio that the codes we're the princi-
pal agency in bringing order out Oi
chaos in an industry whose well being
directly affects all citizens.
Coal has been in bad way for some
years. There was q code in the btu
minous coal fields, but none in the
anthracite. There were all sorts OF
troubles about costs, unfair and un-
wholesome trade practices and price
fixing. Then, of course, there was
hanging over the industry the menace
from the competitive sources, particu-
larly fuel oil, natural gas and hydro
electric power.
Anthracite seems less likely thar
bituminous to be affected by the Su'
preme Courts decision in any Seriou:
way. For the last two years IS pei
cent of the bituminous coal production
has been marketed by q central sales
organization known as Appalachian
Goals, lac, which was in operation be-
fore N. r. A. Now that the codes have
been set aside the attention OF the
industry Is being centered on the Guf-
fey bill and such cooperative schemes
as Appalachian Goals.
= r \
The Guffey bill, If enacted substan-
tiallv as written, would set up COM
mission Of five members, two repre-
senting the employers. two labor and
one of Government, and it would ex-
ercise q measure Of control over the
entire soft coal industry. 1t would be
empowered to allocate production by
districts and establish minimum prices
Under 1t, collective bargaining would
be legalized, permitting agreements
providing for minimum wages and
maximum hours Of work. Finally,
$500. 900 COO, to be provided by bond
issue and liquidated by tax on coal,
would be appropriated for the purchase
of what are known as Sub-marg1nal
coal lands, to establish a National
Bituminous Coal Commission
1t Is believed this measure would
meet the Supreme Courts two objec-
tions to the N. r. A. code Of legaliza-
tion. in that, in the first place, 1t does
not delegate legislative powers and.
second, it does not appear to seek Fed
eral authority over an industry entirely
within one States boundaries. Many
of the soft coal people approve this
measure, but some opposition has come
from those who believe the bill might
possibly fall before q test OF conStitu-
tionality. These latter point to the
Appalachian Goals, Inc, which has
already been declared constitutional.
Il Is In reality q central sales agency
which endeavors to sell the products
OF its members at the best prices OBJ
tainable.
The President has included the Guf-
fey bill on his must pass" list for the
present session Of Congress. Admin
istration leaders say this bill may
serve as q model.
Behind all these immediate prob
lens Of the coal industry as to wages
and overcapacity. economists are be-
ginning to see the lines Of the larger
issue-that Of q redistribution Of our
mining population. particularly in the
coal fields. There are nearly half q
million workers In these fields and
their economic condition has been Q
serious problem for several years.
tCopyright. 1889