| Show N A AI I COAl DAlH HID O T fm R Operators Scored at Hear Hearing ing as Opponents to Hear I Price Advance Protest Strongly to Local Fuel Director no further ad advance vance in inthe the price of coal in Utah will willbe be he recommended hy by the state fuel administrator was the con coI belief expressed by consumers consumers con con- sumers the public hearing on higher coal prices came cam to a sudden close at the tho Commercial club today After all protests to tho producers producers' petition had been read and entered into the records of tho hearing W. W W W. Armstrong fuel administrator for Utah and chairman o of the meeting asked tho contestants if they had anything more to of offer tel Silence in indicated In- In Heated that arguments for both sides were concluded Tho administrator then thanked the contestants for tor the manifestation of ot their Int interest rest in the and announced that he he would ru filo his recommendations with with the national 1 fuel tuel administration at Washington Immediately The refusal of ot producers to make public at the hearing reports of the actual cost of production of Utah mines is regarded by protestants as as asa a basic reason for their expected defeat Inasmuch as Mr Armstrong stated yesterday that he could not reach an Intelligent opinion as to tho Justification tion of the increase a. a asked ked without having some Borne evidence of tho actual costs of production the refusal of the producers to submit this Llon today is taken by consumers as asan asan an indication that the tho Utah administrator adminis- adminis will recommend that no furher fur fur- her ther advance be allowed MANY PROTESTS FILED The hearing today was marked b by frequent argumentative clashes between be- be tween Mr Armstrong and Herbert It MacMillan attorney for the coal producing producing pro pro- companies A lively tilt that had its inception when Mr l protested at Mr Armstrongs Armstrong's interpretation of a telegram tele- tele gram purporting to come coine from Wash Wash- Ington and authorizing an Increase in inthe inthe the price of at coal in Utah filtered through the course of the meeting with the Utah administrator and the attorney casting sharp glances and engaging in verbal erbal sarcasms Several protests against the thc increase asked for tor by the producers were Introduced in- in and read into the records of or orthe the he hearing Chief among these were the protests of ot the Manufacturers Manufacturers' Association Association As As- of Utah and one tiled filed by Salt Lake City The latter protest was submitted by W. W H. H Folland city at attorney attorney at- at torney upon instructions of the mayor and board of ot city commissioners Other protests were tiled filed by W. W C. C A. A the Coal Consumers Consumers' league of Salt Lake George M. M Cannon and md P.J. P. P J. J Donahue ISSUE IS TAKEN In the protest tiled filed b by the association exception is taken takeno to o the thc statement hat the petitioning coal companies produce 8 85 per cent of the he fuel consumed in Utah The I alleges that th the petitioners petitioners' from page 6 I DEFEAT D AT SEEN Continued from page 1 own figures show they actually produce produce produce pro pro- duce less than 50 per cent cent The protest also takes exception to to the frequent and elaborate references made to geological structures The protestant declares this reference is irrelevant since the price of coal produced produced produced pro pro- by the petitioners must always have been based on these conditions which by nature are fixed and un un- changeable The Manufacturers' Manufacturers association petition petition pet pet- peti peti- tion also aso disregards the plea of the producers on the grounds gounds of difficult transportation facilities inasmuch as a the prices in question queston are f. f o. o b. b mine mine The association asks that If j the producers producers producers pro pro- cannot compete under present conditions that they give the field over to those who can operate It i at a profit profi SLACK PRICES SOAR The protest cites that in one year the increase on the price of slack has been per ner cent according according to the producers' producers own figures and and and- yet in their original petition petton they estimate their increase in the cost of production including labor and matera material at 10 cents a ton In conclusion the protest reads as follows The recommendations of Manufacturers Manufacturers' Manufacturers Manufacturers' Manufacturers Manufacturers' Manu Manu- Association of Utah is that the coal producers be given n only a fair fall profit on their actual investment and that profiteering or exorbitant margins that mi might ht obtain in other states or in other lines of production be bc not taken as a standard upon which to base the equitable price of this commodity We firmly believe beleve that if this viewpoint viewpoint view view- vew- vew point Is shared b by those in whose province it is to fix prices that a de decrease decrease decrease de- de crease rather than an all increase in the price prie of slack coal at Utah Uth mines will wi result result ISALT j I SALT LAKE OBJECTS In presenting the protest on behalf beha of the city of Salt Sal Lake Mr r. r Folland Foland said in part The city of Salt Sal Lake has the Interest in interest in- in terest crest of the tile people of tills this state stat at heart and has therefore joined in il the protest against a further increase in inthe inthe the price prie of fuel fuel This protest is not made on ony for the city as a corporation for the ultimate consumer The common people tile people the wage earners earners- earners are being ground clown down day by day by these thes persistent demands for increased profits These people have not en enjoyed enjoyed enjoyed en- en joyed the same increases In wages as a have the producers produces and I am here hero as their representative i I believe that the tile only jus justification for a further increase can cn be ascer- ascer ascertained r- r tamed from a full ful disclosure of costs and conditions b by r the operating com corn panics George M. M 1 Cannon local real estate man and a coal oal mine owner himself himsel joined in the protest against a further increase Mr 11 Cannon stated in his isis protest that he was willing ling to furnish coal indefinitely at the present prices A feature of the tile hearing was the reading of a protest filed with wih the Utah administrator by P. P J. J Donahue The protestants protestant's explicit reference to coal and sugar sugar producers evoked considerable considerable considerable con con- laughter and necessitated the tho chairman rapping for order Following is the complete text of Mr 11 Donahue's protest As one of the consumers of coal In Salt Sal Lake City I 1 wish to make an emphatic protest against any further advance in the price of coal coal Th The consumers consumers consumers con con- sumers are now paying more than tan double double double dou dou- ble what coal ought to be sold for on ona ona ona a fair business basis in Salt Sal Lake City The report of of the geological survey of the United States on the Illinois coal in 1909 showed the cost of ot coal on the surface to be bt from 48 cents to 72 cents per ton the Coke company's company's com corn pany's last available report taken from the transaction of the Institute of American Mining Engineers shows that the cost of coal at the ovens in including including in- in eluding mining and transportation ranges from 56 cents to 64 cents per ton The coal seams of Utah are larger and easier mined than those of either Illinois or Pennsylvania and the cost at the very ver outside ought not to exceed 60 CO cents a i ton The Montana Central branch of the Great Northern railway gave the Boston Boston Boston Bos Bos- ton Montana company a rate on concentrating ore of 40 cents a a ton from froni Butte Bute to Great Falls Fals Mont miles mies jover oer two mountain ranges with wih grades as bad as that on Soldier Sum Sum- mit mi If I they theS' could afford to haul ore at ut th that t rate the D. D R. R G. G can certainly certainly certainly afford to haul coal for one-half one the present allowance of a ton The people who ire re paying the bills for all al these exorbitant advances are I getting very near the tile breaking point and it i is high time that the food anti and fuel administrator began to consult I the tise consumers and not allow alow the organized organized organized or or- efforts of the gang of high highS binders now engaged in the coal and sugar industries and the handling of other food products to go any further furher with their extortion The only half honest person in the whole gang was the tho producer in Indiana who said his reason for the advance in the tile price of ot coal was that he ho needed the tise money saw the tise opportunity and gr grabbed bed it i. i You probably read in the tiso daly daily press this summer where the mayor maor of Terre Haute Ind md went vent out and ad leased a coal mine hauled the coal to I town six miles mies by wagon and r reduced reduced du a athe the price from flom charged by the dealers to and he paid a royalty I to the mine owners for the coal ex ex- ex This hi can be bo done clone In Utah it if j the people would organize and get back backof of a movement to control their I 1 slUes I |
