Evening star., 1935-08-07
CHANGES URGED
FOR GUFFEY BILL
Sweeping Proposals to
Bring Action Would Leave
Basic Idea.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Sweeping proposed changes in the
Guffey coal bill we're made public to-
day in what was seen as an effort
to stimulate a public reaction that
would force the measure out of the
House Ways and Means Committee.
Chairman Doughton, Democrat, Of
North Carolina. gave TO some news
paper men a copy of a confidential
committee print embodying more
than a score of amendments de-
signed to strengthen the bill con-
stitutionally and meet objections that
it would discriminate against some
coal-producing districts.
Basic Idea Same.
The basic idea. however, remained
the same The bill still would set UP
National Bituminous Coal Commits
sion with the authority to administer
a code of fair competition for the soft
coal industry.
The code would include wage and
hour and fair trade practice provis-
ions. and the commission would have
power to fix minimum and maximum
prices.
The major changes, some Of which
already had been disclosed, included:
Elimina ton of the section for bid
ding the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to issue certificates of con-
venience and necessity for operation
of railroads to bituminous mines with
out prior approval by the Bituminous
Coal Commission.
Establishment OF consumers coun-
sci to safeguard the interests of con-
SumerS.
Hearing Provisions.
Also addition of provisions for hear
ings to determine whether the method
of fixing prices was working to the
detriment of any coal-producing dis
trict;
Reduction from 9 to in the number
of commission members. and the ad-
dition Of stipulation that none
shall have any outside connection;
Reduction from Is to Is per cent in
the amount of the tax assessed against
mine operators;
Reduction from 80 to 90 per cent in
the amount of credit allowed the pro-
ducers who abide by the code.
There are l8 Democrats and Z Re-
publicans on the committee. Six of
the seven Republicans will vote against
approving the bill. To get favorable
report, the Democrats thus have to
muster II votes on their own side.
10 to for Bill.
Today all 18 Democrats had been
checked. The tentative count stood
10 to for the bill-two short of the
required number. Vigorous attempts
were being made to change two votes.
1t was reported that President Roose-
welt, who favors the bill, had inter-
vened.
The intervention, it was said, was
not in the form of personal appeals
to individual members, but rather a
blanket statement transmitted to the
Democrats that they could make
whatever changes they wished so long
as they maintained the major objec-
tives of the bill.
Legality Held Certain.
Representative Snyder, Democrat.
Of Pennsylvania, co-author of the bill,
said today in defending the Guffey
bills constltutionality that legality
of its taxing provisions can be easily
sustained.
''That part of the Schechter decis-
sion relating to delegation of powers
in the formation and imposition of
codes cannot reasonably be said to
affect the validity of this bill" he said.
1.-The bill deals with single indus
try, sets out the regulation that shall
govern it, and creates a commission
for the administration of this legis-
lative code. That part of the decision
that deals with the power OF Congress
to regulate transactions in inter-
state commerce. or directly affecting
interstate commerce, points out that
each exercise of congressional power
must be determined on the facts of
each case