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Show GARFIELD 10 SEN CI PROBER HERE Federal Agent to Investigate Investi-gate Fuel Situation in Utah Fields. KING MAKES PROTEST Meeting With Operators to Solve Contract Problems Suggested. A meeting at .Salt Lake City of Utah coal operators with representiittves of the fuel administration and of concerns holding contracts specifying lower prices than those fixed by the president has been suggested by Senator William U. King as a possible means of bringing about a satisfactory adjustment of coal affairs in Utah. The suggestion was tained in a letter to Dr. H. A. C.arfU i" national coal administrator, protesting against burdens declared to have been placed upon Utah coal operators by the president's order. According to information received here last night Dr. Garfield is arranging tn send a representative to Utah this week to make a full investigation of conditions and obtain all information necessary to enable the officers of the fuel ndmlnls- ; tration to modify the, prices fixed by the president if conditions warrant such action. ac-tion. With a view to offering some relief to the coal situation the government has arranged for the Baldwin Locomotive Works to send two locomotives to the Utah Railroad company October R, two on October 27 and twenty on November Novem-ber 10. Urges Amicable Methods. In his letter Senator King expressed some doubt as to Just what course the administration could take to afford relief re-lief to the operators, unless some amicable ami-cable arrangement could be made between be-tween the producers and the holders of the contracts. However, he called attention at-tention to the importance of the metal industries of the state, the efficiency of which, he declared, depended largely upon the coal production. Averago costs for coal production also were given, showing that the costs " for June varied from $1.61 to $2.1(t a ton, or an average of $1.98, and for July the average aver-age was $2.45. These prices, he said, would be greater in subsequent months because of the workmen's compensation and additional increases In pay allowed the mine employees. "One thing, however," is clear," Senator King said In his letter, "the government has no right to require these companies to operate at a loss, and to fix prices at which they must soli coal considerably or any at all below cost or prices under which they are bound by contract. Says Condition Critical. "If the government could, by amicabj means, get the holders of these coii- tracts to surrender them, it would be, perhaps, a long step toward the solution, of thle perplexing problem. However, If this is not done, and the government Insists In-sists upon the schedule of prices promulgated. promul-gated. It is almost absolutely certain that within a short time the mines will be In the hands of the receivers. "It would be, in my opinion, a mistaken policy for the government to seize the coal mines and operate them. Experience Experi-ence has taught that the government cannot can-not operate mining property as cheaply as individuals. "The conditions are so critical that something should be done at once. I know that there is a coal shortage in th west, and there will be severe suffering A this winter unless some heroic steps are taken, and taken quickly. Indeed. I am not sure that anything can be done that will wholly relieve the situation. The scarcity of labor and lack of transportation transporta-tion present obstacles to a proper solution solu-tion of the case which I fear cannot be overcome. The equipment of the Denver & Rio Grande is very poor for such conditions, con-ditions, and something will have to be done by the committee of which Mr. Wil-lard Wil-lard is chairman to help in this particular. Cars and engines are needed to get the coal from the mines to the market and the Rio Grande company cannot, with its own equipment, accomplish this result." |