Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-06-04 | Page 14 | Miners Protest Freight Increase

1HERS PROTEST " ' FRE1GHT!NGREASE Handicap to Metal Industry Set Forth in Wire to McAdoo. j Protest against the proposed blanket Increase of 25 per cent In freight rates was telegraphed to Director General JJlo S Adoo yesterday by the mining interests of iUtah, following a meeting of the Utah chapter of the American Mining congress. The telegram, -which is self explanatory, follows: ' "By press reports it Is indicated that the director general has authorized a blanket increase in all freight rates, class and commodity, of 25 per cent and a heavy flat increase on base bullion. Some commodities, com-modities, including low grade ores and smelter flai. will not stand these large increases, in-creases, that is. we fear that the increases, in-creases, irrespective of values of ore and commodities, will result in curtailment ol the output of low grade mines and the shutting off of product of such mines will seriously hinder the operation of smelting plants by denriving them of indispensable fluxes and thus reduce the output of the metals produced by the smelters. Once the low grade mines stop shipping we anticipate an-ticipate that mine labor will obtain employment em-ployment elsewhere, with the result in the present labor situation, that a subsequent subse-quent resumption of operations may not be possible. "Do we understand that the order of the director general provides that the carriers car-riers are without power to modify the published percentage of increase in rates, or that thev may consider the showing that producers and consumers may make that warrant a modification before rear-ranging or publishing advances in all tariffs? "Any Ugh you are able to give as to procedure before publication of advanced rates will be appreciated. This communication communi-cation is addressed to yon by unanimous direction of a meeting of Utah metal mine operators heJd here this afternoon."