Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-01-24 | Page 6 | Odd Fuel Situation

ODD FUEL SITUATION. That the fuel administration at Washington Wash-ington has not yet grasped the coal situation sit-uation in its entirety is evidenced by the appeal of the Utah operators for an opportunity to market their coal in Nebraska Ne-braska aud Kansas. Utah has sufficient suf-ficient coal to run a world war for generations coal of the best quality but just at this tim,e, when Chicago, for example, is complaining of a shortage short-age of 1,000,000 tons, Utah coal is being be-ing overproduced! The government ias discovered that there is such a thing as "cross shipments" ship-ments" of coal, and intends to remedy the evil. The Utah situation has been produced tq some extent by cross ship- j ments. Wyoming coal has been shipped into Utah's territory, while Utah coal. was being sent out of the state, j We are not attempting to explain I this or fix the blame, but we are sure that the government should be given all possible information, in-formation, so that it can utilize the reserve supplies of fuel. At present Utah is a great fuel reserve, and if I cars are supplied in sufficient quauti. ties any shortages in Nebraska or Kansas Kan-sas or even in Chicago can be relieved quickly. Surely the government will not haggle hag-gle about railroad rates in such a crisis, especially as it controls the railroads, j It is up to the fuel administration to 1 make use of Utah coal, not only to meet shortages, but to keep our men at the I mines busy, so that there will not be idle men in Utah while in other parts of the country mines and factories are crying out for workmen. 1