Show WILL WLL FREEZE i UNLESS CARS ARE PUT PUTI AT SERVICE of MINES MINES' I SEB By E. E J. J i 1 OAL vi will ill be reduced in price but butI I nOAL COAL C it will vill prove of little avail this J winter In that there will not be sufficient of the commodity Drought Brought into Salt Lake There are a few dealers who have of tons o of ocal on hand but buthe buthe he majority of them are in need The carrying railroads do not notI I eem seem to care The Denver Rio Ric rande Railroad company is not bring bring- ng the amount of coal into Salt Laki that hat it promised to do when H H. U U. Mudge president of the company conferred conferred con con- with coal producers and members mem mem- l ers Jers of the public utilities commission recently S J Last week the public utilities commission commission com- com mission requested all the dealers in the city city to furnish information concerning concerning concern- concern ing ng the amount of coal oal on hand They reported showing the quantity in the yards but nearly all of them said that the he railroads ds were behind with orders If a cold snap should materialize for forme forone forone one me or two days all aU the yards In Salt Lake will be emptied of fuel F. F A. A Sweet president of the Standard Standard Stan- Stan dard lard Coal company at an informal hearing earing before the public utilities commission commission com- com mission last week stated that little coal oal would be mined if the railroads I I did lid not supply an an adequate service for forthe forthe the he miners would leave leave their work to labor abor In fields where they could get full ull time At present several of the Collieries are working part time and none ione so far as is known are turning out ut coal at full capacity This is all allue due ue to a shortage of cars and a remedy must be found if the people of Salt Lake ake and other Utah points are not to suffer uffer hardship this winter I SHORT HORT HAULS PROFITABLE Commissioner Henry H. H Blood suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that the coal producers should apportion more coal to Utah and thus relieve the situation He said that this would mean that more cars would be available for local traffic in that a car could make five or six trips between Helper and Salt Lake while It was making the journey from the mines toa to toa toa a California city The coal producers admitted this but stated that they had I contracts to fill Further than this any diversion of traffic to local points to an undue degree In comparison to other points would not help the general I situation Utah could not benefit at atthe atthe i the expense of other communities and i there would be little if any justice in robbing Peter to pay Paul The whole question simmers down toone to toone I Ione one of car supply The suggestion isnow Is isnow now made that the public utilities commission commission commission com com- mission order that cars suitable for I j coal be not held on sidings There have been instances where cars of I ore have been held up outside of one I smelter for several days This has I I 1 precluded them being used for the carriage carriage carriage car- car cari i of coal Hundreds if not thousands of cars have been sent out of this state never to be returned but to be used by connecting connecting connecting con con- lines of the Denver Rio Grande for their own operation and I for the conveyance of other material than coal This is a rank injustice It must be admitted that it would not De ne lor a railroad to Lo give a discriminating right to the conveyance of coal at the expense of carrying other commodities For Instance instance- the California haulage of crops must be made In a few days the conveyance of beets will mean that hundreds of cars will have to be used COAL AN ESSENTIAL But the conveyance of coal is after all the one question of paramount importance importance importance im im- im- im to this state at present j Wherever possible cars should be re released released released re- re leased for its conveyance provided that other industries do not suffer un- un un-j un duly Owing to the general car shortage short short- short short-l age some industries are bound to suffer suffer suf suf- fer b but t it seems that an unfair handicap handicap handicap handi handi- cap Is being placed upon the coal producers producers producers pro pro- of Utah Quick relief should be ordered so that the necessary cars may be supplied supplied supplied sup sup- plied and moved While other Industries industries industries Indus- Indus tries are receiving almost a per perfect ct I service the coal operators are not re receiving receiving receiving re- re BO 60 per cent service This is manifestly unjust Not only the operators operators opera opera- tors but the people as a whole opera opera-j have haye to suffer without just cause It is is a a. j lamentable situation when railroads railroads railroads' can tie up Industries and starve the people of a much needed commodity without being brought to book It is a fact that for every couple of I cars sent out of Utah within the last month not more than one has been re returned returned returned re- re turned in in- inthe the same period At this ate Utah will be deprived of cars and andt t t will not be a question merely of the supply of coal but of the supply of ther necessities Western railroads in June 1917 I showed that the revenue t ton n miles a freight car car- car was comp compared red with In J June ne 1916 an an increase of per cent One railroad stated that it was making three cars do the work of ot two At this rate there should be bo sufficient cars available for the carriage carriage car car- of all commodities in this country country country coun coun- try and there is no reason why Utah should not receive its just portion CARS ARE TIED UP There Is no question but that cars are being held up despite the general car shortage The railroads Can can supply supply supply sup sup- ply all the cars needed at the the Utah mines for If three cars can do the work of two compared with last year it is only logical to assume that there thero must be a surplus The Increase in inthe inthe inthe the amount of goods carried does not represent the total capacity of car space still available for transportation needs Even if the railroads cannot make good in furnishing all the cars needed to meet the output of the mines It is indisputable that more cars can be furnished than at present It is lous to imagine that the poor proportion proportion proportion tion furnished is the total that could be made available It seems that the railroads are aie purposely purposely pur pur- purposely neglecting the coal fields of Utah without one thought to the suffering suffering suffering suf suf- sufi i fering to the public that will Inevitably in inevitably inevitably In- In ensue unless remedial measures meas measures meas- meas ures are promptly adopted There is good ground for believing that the railroads are refusing to supply supply supply sup sup- ply sufficient cars so that they can bolster up their case for an increase in freight rates on coal They might say that there Is not sufficient rolling stock stol available for the a of roan and that the increase sought sough is is fo for ti the buying of ot additional equipment If they make such a contention then the public utilities commission will be compelled t to point out to them the great revenue derived b by the conveyance conveyance convey convey- ance of coal in Utah and will also beable be beable beable able to inform them that out of the great and unfair profits gained they have made no effort to get an adequate number of cars RATE RATE INCREASE UNWARRANTED It seems the height of impudence of the railroads to make an application for increased rates having regard to the extremely poor service supplied The railroads for years have had the opp opportunity to obtain more equipment out of their big credit balances and there is no excuse for them failing in their duty not only to themselves but to the public at large r The people of Utah must insist that I more cars cars be furnished to ward off a coal famine as much as possible On the present production of the mines and the total of coal In the yards here o one is forced to the conclusion that come what may now there is nothing to prevent a coal shortage in Salt Lake and Utah Order your co coal l NOW V. You might not get it for two months but If you delay in placing your order you might I have to go without coal through ugh the entire winter |