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Show CI PRODUCERS OF Ul PRESENT CASE Senator King and Representative Repre-sentative Welling See Administrator Ad-ministrator Garfield. WASIir.VGTON', D. C, Sept. 8. Tlironli Senator Kin;; ami j'ii'pn'souta-tive j'ii'pn'souta-tive WulliiiK, tlie L'tah real nunc own-era own-era have suljmitte.l to Ur. II. A. Ciar-liel.l, Ciar-liel.l, (toal uiimiiiiHtrator, a MtaU'iueiit of conditions in L'tah, in which it is mid that t lie miners of L'tah are charged with tin) duty of furnishing fuel to the Btates of l.lalio, Nevada, Lnlitornia, Oregon, Washington and .Montana, as well as to the people in Utah. The statement in part follows: There is now a fuel famine throughout all of these states. This situation is aggravated by the tact that the L'niou Pacific L'oal com- Fny lius now withdrawn entirely roin the commercial market. This fuel famine will grow in intensity as the war approaches. At the present time a large proportion of the threshers in the wheat field are unable to operate because of lack of fuel. No sugar factory throughout this territory is supplied sup-plied with enough fuel tor use and through a large part of the territory terri-tory mentioned no coal whatever is available. It is therefore essential that every mine in Utah be operated oper-ated at its fullest capacity and that the output be properly distributed. distrib-uted. Heretofore the mines of Utah have received a schedule of prices lor their' protbu't ranging from 75 cents per ton for slack to about $:i.!() per ton for lump. Hefore the war began the mines had very generally entered into contract, con-tract, furnishing a large proportion propor-tion of their tonnage at prices much below the schedule published by the president. These prices now prove to be inadequate. Since the president's proclamation they are prohibited from selling the prepared pre-pared grade, known as lump coal, at the prices they have been receiving. receiv-ing. Labor is receiving higher wages and mining machinery is costing three times as much as before be-fore the war. Powder is more expensive and the producers state that if they are prevented from filling orders at lu-ices higher than those pubfished by the president, but are at the same time compelled under contract con-tract to fill orders at prices mmMi lower than the said schedule, they will not be able to onerate their , mines except at great loss. Something Some-thing like SO per cent of their products prod-ucts is sold in advance ' fo the comiiv year, either under contract or by standing accepted orders. The producers are willing and anxious anx-ious to comply with the law. They ask that in case they are prevented from filling the standing orders for lump coal at prices above tile schedule published by the presi- dent, by the same authority tlicy should be relieved of the duty' of lillin contracts at prices below the schedule. It would appear advisnttile under the circumstances that i'he president's presi-dent's edict be made applicable to all producers and to all consumers and that all contracts made before the war conditions obtained be abrogated ab-rogated uuder the war powers of the president. These contracts are not only oppressive op-pressive conditions, but ' are also detrimental to the public interest in the fact that they prevent an equitable distribution of coal. Many corporations are securing coal in large quantities below cost of production, at the expense of small consumers, while wholtj communities communi-ties are deprived of necessary fuel. Some of tliesc larger consumers have contracts covering as nnfch as a half million tons per year and if obliged to submit to the proper distribution of the fuel supply would probably add to the total output by opening up new mines in the state to provide for thehsown necessities. This would tend to relieve re-lieve the coal famine. All agreements agree-ments therefore calling for prices either higher or lower than the president's published schedule should he abrogated in the public interest. There should be no pre-fered pre-fered consumers. Public interest demands there should be no discrimination dis-crimination in prices against the small consumer in favor of the corporations. It is expected definite action will soon be taken by the fuel administrator adminis-trator to adjust titah situation. |