Show I FREIGHT RATES ARE HOLDING UP UTAH DEVELOPMENT H H. H W. W t De Declares Roads Prevented State StateS S Aiding Goalless East By E E. J. J David Reasonable rates on coal Utah from mines would have enabled the producers producers producers pro pro- hero to have alleviated the coal famine In Eastern centers This Tills In substance was the evidence given by H. H W. W traffic manager of the traffic service bureau of Utah before before before be be- fore the public utilities commission today in the protest of the cities of Salt Lake and Ogden and private concerns concerns concerns con con- cerns to the application of the railroads railroads railroads rail rail- roads for an advance of 15 cents a ton on the freight on coal moved In Utah Coincident with the protest made the case for reduced rates on coal Is proceeding and from the evidence evidence evidence evi evi- dence submitted there can be no question question question ques ques- tion but that there will be a material material material mate mate- rial decrease In the freight rates now prevailing while the he application of the railroads for an increase will fall fail i As a a. matter of fact the case for the i railroads has already collapsed for the Ute I railroads furnished no no evidence to show that the present rate was reasonable reasonable reasonable rea rea- much less Indicate that there was Justification in the application for tor foran foran toran an increase With the conclusion of the application application tion of the tile railroads the protestants were left with no DO case to answer and it it Is now Just a question of the application ap- ap I of the protestants to con con- sider aider The evidence clearly demonstrates demonstrates demon demon- I strates the unfairness of the present tariffs and emphasizes the need for a aI I reduction at the earliest possible mo mo- ment COULD COULD HAVE AIDED If It reasonable rates had been ex exIstIng exist existing exIst St- St ing Utah would have been able to ship its coal to the East now crying for fuel the scarcity having forced the i fuel administration to stop the wheels of industry Utah coal is prohibited from going to Eastern markets owing to the freight fact which in I itself itsel is sufficient to induce the commission com coin mission to protect the industry if not noton noton noton on account of good business reasons for the state as a whole then in the name of humanity of the nation at atlar lar large e. e If the railroads provided reduced rates and proper facilities Mr testified that the mines of Utah would be able to produce six seven or eight million tons of coal a year instead of t f three or four million million mil mil- lion as at present If reasonable rates were in evidence Mr mil mil-I further further further fur fur- ther stated that Utah coal could be marketed on a much greater scale in California while Just tariffs would provide provide provide pro pro- I vide another outlet for the fuel in inthe I the khe East The fhe demand for the coal Mr explained far exceeded the production Lower freight rates according to Mr would with better service sery- sery ice provide for a a. greater reater population In Utah and therefore help belo the state to progress faster He lip- estimated that three or four thousand more could be added to the payrolls of the coal producing companies In turn these three or four thousand with their families would provide a community which of necessity would woula be he bound to have certain commodities ties which the railroads would trans trans- port SHORT SIGHTED As a result while the freight rates no coal might be lowered the railroads would obtain increased revenues due to the business that would materialize material ize by the building up of the communities communities in the coal producing regions The fault of tho the railroads is that they are not seeing far enough commented commented com corn Mr The witness added that decreased freight rates on coal would not mean decrease in revenue in that the railroads railroads rail rail- roads would probably double the tonnage tonnage tonnage ton ton- I nage in the carriage of other commodities com corn modUles besides carrying additional coal which would result fron lower tariffs and would enable the Utah fuel to bo consigned to centers from which it Is now prohibited Mr l declared that the people peo peo- I pIe should not be taxed for the sol sole purpose of paying dividends ends In tho the fiscal year ending June 30 1917 he ho I showed that the Eastern carriers declared declared de do- dared dividends totaling and that they had a surplus after acter payin paying paying pay pay- in ing dividends of To show the unfairness of the rates in Utah Mr l testified as to I the tariffs in operation in Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania lie TIe referred to the fact that a arate arate I rate of 1 a ton obtained for a distance I of miles in Pennsylvania compared compared com corn pared with rate of in Utah for miles from the Castle CastleGate CastleGate CastleGate Gate group of mines to Salt LakeIn Lake In other words It costs 60 cents a ton I more to transport rt coal in Utah for a distance six fifty miles less th to Pennsylvania 41 LOW RATE IN EAST I IFor For a distance of miles in f fn t c sylvania Mr showed that I Irate irate e erate rate of 75 cents a ton on slack and aids cents on lump coal 9 The witness also emphasized 1 the density of traffic in the noted in Pennsylvania was In Utah This means according toll toi ruling of the interstate contra commission that the rate for or too thill thili miles from the Castle Gate grout group I C mines to Salt Lake should be less J a ton m I D. D R. R Gray assistant gene gee genf freight agent of the Oregon Jw Line railroad who testified low railroads ads this week raised the tion of the quality o of coal Ity of coal has lis nothing to d the freight rate If one must into qualities then the question wf be asked as to why the freight rate for ore is cold mIll less than that for coal oal On th dill bd bi bithe the fr freight ight rate on coal shaul decreased considerably asked by the protestants to th the roads' roads application r. r To fa set all disputes at test rest rega iga the quality of coal mined In b band BJ and Wyoming Mr l s n J SOT bol government reports These that the British thermal n Utah coal were 1760 to th the P po J compared with I 2260 in Rock W sIr coal and in Kemmerer British thermal units are oge thet tm that known as heat units so 80 not r P P do here recited te teor n ra rathe for or Utah bearing a heavier j the conveyance of ot coal than thanIn that In other states |