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Show COAL AND THE RATE BILL. In tho matter of its coal supply, Utah is very much at the command "of the railroads. There are, to bo sure, coal companies which handle tho coal and deliver to the dealers 'through the railroads, rail-roads, but theso companies are allied or nftiliatod with tho railroads in such a manner that only tho companies so affiliated are able to send coal to this market. In so far as any of theso companies aro, in effect, railrond companies or companies iu which the railroads have any interest direct or indirect, tho new rate bill which goes into effect Mny 1, J 90S, will play an important part in their coal mines and coal sales. The bill provides that from and nfter tho date given it will bo unlawful for any railroad company to transport any articlo or commodity other than timber tim-ber nud the manufactured products thereof, manufactured, mined or produced pro-duced by it or under its authority, or which it may own iu wholo or in part, or in which it may have any interest, direct or indirect, except such articlo or commodities as may bo necessary and intended for its use in tho conduct of its business aH a common carrier. That necessarily moans that no railroad rail-road company shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in auy coal brought into this State for commercial purposes. pur-poses. Tt must have no intorost direct or indirect in nny concern handling such coal. Tho provision seems to bo very sweeping nnd very drastic. Probably thcro would bo no Intent or desiro to evade tho provision of tho law, but it Is evident that there must bo a reorganization of tho coal business hero prior to May 1, 1908. Just what form that reorganization will take is a matter of a good deal of speculation and present uncertainty. Tt looks as though tho mines in Wyoming ownod by the railroad must be disposed of absolutely ab-solutely to other partios. Aa to tho coal from points in Utah, of course the rate bill will cut no figure. fig-ure. At the present time it will bo of importance to tho people here to note in futuro whether this rate bill will in this particular bo to their advantage in tho lowering of tho price of coal, or whether tho prico under the new law wnl advance. Timo will tell, but in the meantime we must live in hope even if occasionally wo tremble somewhat in anticipation. |
