Evening star., 1937-03-31
SENATE TAKES UP
!. COAL BILL TODAY
Indications Are Measure
e Will Pass Chamber
Tomorrow.
BY ]. A. OIEARY.

by J. A. OLEARY.
-ss The Senate was to begin today con.
's sideration of the Vinson- Guf1ey bill
Ito stabilize prices in the bituminou,
: coal industry, with indications the
X. measure will pass by tomorrow.
:. Senator Guffey. Democrat, OF
? Pennsylvania, is scheduled to launch
the debate on the bill this afternoon,
following Senator Wagner's discussion
OF present-day labor problems.
10 Although the labor provisions on
which the Supreme Court invalidated
- the original Guffey coal act of 1885
4, had to be eliminated in revising the
measure, supporters of the bill believe
. the remaining price-fixing features
will go far toward improving future
working conditions among the miners.
Conferences are under way in New
York now seeking to work out a re-
newal OF the expiring labor agreement
between the operators and representa-
tives OF several hundred Thousand
miners.
IL. Senate Approval Expected.
=, The bill passed the House March II,
and is expected to receive Senate ap-
AZ proval, with amendments In bringing
the measure out at this session, the
: House Ways and Means Committee
4" recalled that when the 1885 act was
{ being considered. counsel for the mine
workers stated that even II the labor
o provisions of that law failed to stand
sup the workers still wanted the rest
of the control act because "it stabilizes
the industry" The new measure has
been drafted to meet the constitu-
tional requirement.
= In reporti 4 the measure a few days
~rgo, the Senate Interstate Commerce
ssCommittee pointed out that the prob
= lens and Affections of the soft-coal
industry have been the subject OF a
score of congressional inquiries during
The last "a years.
es In stressing the need for the legis-
:. .lation, the committee declared the
y condition OF the industry has been
a@eaused by overdevelopment, resulting
in overproduction, which, in turn,
has led to a bitter struggle for markets
and merciless competition.
The wage earners in the industry
have been the outstanding victims"
of the competitive warfare, the COM
nittee reported, because labor consti-
tutes so per cent of the total cost Of
production and is practically the only
, flexible cost factor.
N~- The bill sets up 4 national h-
luminous coal commission, with power
to establish minimum prices, on
the recommendation OF boards to be
: set up in different parts Of the coun-
* try. The coal-producing areas would
be divided into % districts, with \
board for each district.
Excise Tax Provided For.
-. An excise tax of one-half of l per
rent on the sales price is provided
. for, which will raise more than suf1-
cient revenue to meet the cost of
administering the control plan. In
order to make the control plan ef-
fective, the bill would impose an addi-
tional tax Of 1912 per cent of the sales
price or market value at the mines
on any coal produced or distributed
in violation of the minimum price
regulations and fair-trade practices.
Senator Davis, Republican, of Penn
sylvania indorsed the bill in an OPEN
ing speech late yesterday, in which
he stressed his belief that the per-
sonnel of the proposed commission will
be an important factor In determining
the success of the control plan.
Il favor this BILL" said Davis, be
cause believe it necessary that the
Nation shall now choose whether We
assist the coal industry to organize
itself through the regulation OF pow
erful commission or allow it to become
the stage for riots lawlessness and
labor disturbances such as this coun-
try has not known in many years."