Ogden Daily Standard | 1920-03-15 | Page 5 | Taft Decides Coal Seizures Illegal

TIFT DECIDES COAL SEIZURES ILLEGAL Fixing of Prices by Government Govern-ment Cannot Continue Lawfully, CINCINNATI, March 16. Confiscation Confisca-tion of coal by the railroad administration administra-tion and the-f being of prices at which coal may be sold, by the government is told to be Illegal in an opinion rendered ren-dered to the Smokeless Coal Operators' Opera-tors' association through A. Julius Freiberg, of this city, their attorney, bv torner President William Howard Ta(u I For some time past the coal operators opera-tors of West Virginia and middle west coal dealers have protested against tho selzuro of coal by railroads and tho regional boards. Tho smokeless op-eralorw op-eralorw decided, according to the announcement, an-nouncement, to placo tho whole question ques-tion before tho former president. Ab to the question' of government fixed prices, Mr. Taft's opinion stntes: "In the absence of any finding of the president that theso orders restoring old orders are necessary for tho efficient effi-cient prosecution of tho war, I cannot can-not see how authority to fix .prices can continue- so as to prevent coal opera tors frcm making contracts after April first, in accordance with their usual custom at prices mutually satisfactor.x to he parties and without regard U the prices fixed in the order of October Octo-ber 30, 1919." In regard to the second question con corning tho right of tho railroad ad minis'tralion to divert coal or Issue or-del or-del s or regulations for tho divorsion ho declares that the first answer likewise like-wise Is a reply to that question. Further he declares that oven tho first order restoring tho government prlco on coal had no relations to tho prosecution of tho war. -on