Show May y Open t Municipal Coal c Yard The board of education may reject all bids submitted l by local coal dealers dealers deal deal- ers era for fuel to be used by the schools during the winter and may buy direct direct di dl- from the mines making delivery through a 3 municipal coal yard This suggestion was made by the board last night when bids were opened and representative coal dealers dealers deal deal- ers era conferred with the board on the fuel problem I When the bids were opened it was found that they were identical from all dealers Lump coal nut screened slack 3 3 and dust the ton The prices quoted on lump and nut coal are regular retail prices When attention was called by the board that the prices on lump and nut were prevailing retail prices the dealers dealers deal deal- ers era answered that the tho price at the mines with loss in transit and overhead overhead overhead over over- head costs made lower bids pro pro- I When the suggestion was made by bya a member of the board that the board might buy direct from the mines and handle the coal without the agency of the dealers the latter accepted the suggestion with evidences of ot approval One of ot the dealers said that all of the themen themen themen men in the business would be glad to see that done so that the board might have a better appreciation of the difficulties difficulties dif dl- dif dif- and small margins of ot profit in inthe inthe inthe the business The members of the buildings and grounds committee of the board which has the problem in hand are not In Inclined inclined in- in dined today to discuss the suggestion of ot buying direct from the mine They prefer to await the return of L. L M. M Bailey who now is out of ot the city before before be be- fore tore going into the tha details of the plan I IThe The members of ot the committee other I Ithan than Mr Bailey are A. A G. G Giauque Dr F. F S. S Bascom Oscar W. W Moyle loyle A. A D. D McMullen and William J. J Barrette In explanation of ot the dealers' dealers position position tion in the matter one of their number number number num num- ber made the following statement to today today today to- to day It is true the quotations were the same Retail prices were quoted for lump and nut while less than cost prices were quoted for screen slack and dust The board hoard asked for tor bids on onI small quantities of lump and nut totalIng totaling total- total I In Ing only about tons The dealers are selling screened slack lack and dust be below below below be- be low cost I The cost on the car at the mine is 1 a ton for tor slack Freight is to the yards in Salt Lake It costs 50 cents a ton to deliver in Salt Lake I making a total cost of without counting the loss in transit My shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping and reweigh bills show losses of from to 1400 pounds per car car We must pay costs as well which are added to the overhead If It we were to add 20 per cent to the cost coston coston coston on board cars in the Salt Lake Lale yards it would no more than cover us That would make the price the ton The board is paying 3 the standard local price That is the price at which we sell to the office buildings and many other consumers In the office building business we deliver four tour blocks on pavements to ground level chutes In school business we deliver four miles in some cases A first class man with a first class team cannot deliver more than ten tons a day to the schools at a acost acost acost cost to us of ot 5 or 50 cents the ton The school board wants the coal when the demand is heaviest on all our resources and equipment Other buyers buyers buyers buy buy- ers buy the year around One buyer the Salt Lake brewery pays becaUSe because because be be- cause of long haul The board of education suggests it should get lower prices because of the quantities bought These quantities put a heavier burden on us because all allour allour allour our equipment is busy when the board wants its coal The contracts as they stand would ruin the small dealer We want the business divided among all the dealers That would be fair to them and fair to the board |