| Show C COAL BLAME SHIFTED BYROCK BY R ROCK WELL Declares Press Should Be Muzzled and Passes Buck to the Consumer er erBy By T. T DeWitt Foster An analysis annlis of ot the testimony given I o b by F. F II n Rockwell assistant general manager for the tho Denver Rio Gr Grande nde b before the Joint house hous and senate enato coal shortage hortage Investigating committee re results results re- re In offering the following following- solution I as a means of ot preventing coal famines I In Salt SnIt Lake and Utah In days das to come 01 nit Limit tho the am amount of coal which any ani I tray consume 1 1 I Muzzle tightly the tho public press pren I Arrange with the the weather man for warmer weather eather during the winter For several weeks now persons and corporations engaged in tho the handling of ot coal coni have been occupied with that favorite Indoor sport known as passIng passIng passing pass Ing the buck bUCIC Several Se times it has passed dangerously close to the lap of or the tho ultimate consumer consumes Once It came carne near landing there when the general sales mann manager er of or the Utah Fuel company compan company com com- pan pany blamed the severe weather and the heavy demand for tho the coal shortage ge It now appears that the buck I Is headed heade and sure surely Into the hands of ot tho the ultimate consumer and that tho the thoI I people generally will bo be charged with the full responsibility for the famine In fuel which has existed in Salt Lake and U Utah Uh h during the winter months SHIFTS RESPONSIBILITY Mr lr Rockwell on being called as a n no o witness before the Investigating committee committee committee com com- started at nt once to shift all aU re responsibility responsibility responsibility re- re for or the shortage from the shoulders of ot the railroad company which he lie represents and declared declare that C Continued on pa page e 3 BLAME IS SHIFTED I AT COAL HEARING Continued from rom page pue 1 there were three controlling factors factor in tho coal conI shortage e this thin winter These Thele ho said were the car shortage the unprecedented t severe weather and unfortunate advertising ad glen given through tho the public press Later ter in his testimony testimony mon mony li ho again gave o a tho the buck a n. strong push in tho the direction of ot the ultimate consumer b by telling the committee committee com corn that It was up to the people the consumer to tu store coal in th the summer timo and not the railroads lie He explained that the storing of ot coal by hy the railroad had been entirely unsatisfactory be because of or the danger danler of ions loes from fire and sail said th that t the thc storage should be by b- the little man Ho did not however howe explain where the workmen earning a n. small salary might got ot the tho mom money with which h to pay PRY for tor his winters winter's supply of or coal all nt t once i nor did he say fla- Just what facilities could bo provided pro for or Its storage He Ife called attention to the fact that the tho railroad com company pan once lost a pile of ot tons of coal conI through fire tire and since Ince that time had been hen opposed to tolie the lie poll policy C of storing a supply CONSUMERS CONSUMER'S ERS ER'S RISK On question from rom William Gorton I Isales sales manager for Cor the tho Independent I Mr Rockwell Coal and Col Coke o company compan admitted that last summer Bummer ho lie was In I favor ta storing coal conI and had taken the matter up tip with his general offices the they not not n agreeing In effect Mr Rockwell's Rock Rock- wells well's t testimony sUmon was wa that all tho the risk for or the storing of or coal should be bo taken h 1 by the tho domestic consumer and none h by the railroad company which might b better stand Sll the lie loss of or several c thousand thousand thou thou- sand tons tom than could the workman the loss of or thrA or 01 four tour tons The effect of ot the testimony also was to Indicate that the tho consumers consumers were being penalized penalized pen pen- for their failure to do business along the lines lineR suggested and desired by hy tho the carrier Thus tho buck is II speeding on its way with every o Indication that the general direction is toward the lap of ot tho the ultimate consumer who stands an excellent opportunity of ot getting satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction where shere he most always has i C c- c cd it In times gone one by lathe Inthe inthe neck Thero Is IR even en a possibility at the present rate of speed an and sureness which tho the buck is traveling tra that the consumer may find himself ere se severely censured for daring to use so much coal and for tor permitting the powers power which control tho elements to dish out such cold weather At least that Is what tho the testimony given i cn by railroad men and their questions directed at mit the independent producers would indicate and desire SWEET VS ROCKWELL The hearing last lust night developed Into a u. rather hot clash between 1 F F. A A. Sweet president of tho the Standard Coal company and anti Mr Rockwell The questioning questioning ques ques- of or Mr h Sweet did not meet with the approval of ot A A. C C. Ellis counsel for tor forthe forthe the Utah Fuel company compan who jumped to his feet and anel rushed to the defense of Mr Rockwell deman demanding that the questioner bo ho instructed to lo cease his bully ra ragging tactics The Tho clash came after atter Mr Mi Sweet S had made a direct charge e against the witness witness witness wit wit- ness of discrimination b by his railroad In lii or ft nf or the tho Fuel Mr ii 1 Rockwell k lI- lI Insisted d- d dt t that H th t the operation operation opera opera- i r I tion of the tho Fuel company compan and the railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road company were as Us far apart as us the poles that ono one did not look to the theother theother theother other for tor or advice or information He denied emphatically an any attempt at discrimination b by 13 his railroad comI company com corn pany pan in favor of or the thc railroad owned I mines Mr Ir Rockwell ell charged charge that the shortage had been largely larsel brought about by unfortunate advertising In inthe tho the public press As a matter of ot fact tact the public press did not have one word to sa say about coal conditions in this winter until the shortage e had be become become be- be come como acute I grant that newspaper per men have ha been charged anti and credited with doing man many things big things and little things s but deny responsibility tot for the condition which emptied tho the coal yards I in Salt Lal Lake e this winter The coal shortage c did thid not develop elop In Inthe I tIme the fertile CerUlo brain of if any lono lone reporter or group of or reporters On the theor theory advanced by Rockwell there thero would have been ben no shortage e had the press pres of or Salt Lake Lako o failed Called to give th the people the tho news 1 JUST LIKE THAT An Any reasonable persons can readily i understand of ot cour course e that when Jones went vomit out to buy huy a ton of or coal conI and after atter visiting nine or ten coal yards found I that each and every celT one ono was empty then going homo home HIU and picking up his hiM l dally daily paper finding nothing there thereabout about r a. a coal roal shortage would woul 1 at once know that a coal conI shortage e did not exist Hi lit would be he further enlightened as the tho fact of or a nonexistence of ot a coal conI shortage when ho he visited Smiths Smith's hou house next door 1001 and amI asked tho the loan of or a aI I bucketful of or coal to tillo tido over O the cold cola evening and amal got the tho same answer that I ho received recel at tho coal offices The fact that his dall daily paper did not contain contain con con- tam tain any information as to a n. coal shortage short- short a ago age o would in all probability reassure him that there thero was plenty plent of ot coal in town See Seo Easy Kasy Just like that Tho senate members the of Joint committee are arc not exactly In sympathy with time tho explanation of offered by the representative of or the coal company compan as ils asto asto to the tho shortage c and will delve delvo further Into the tho matter J. J D. D Kenworthy as assistant assistant as- as general trel freight ht and passenger a agent ent of oC the tho Denver Del Rio Hlo Grande It im to be e called culled to the stand stanl tonight nV II n. W. W of ot the traffic service bureau bu bu- bu reau of ot Utah h al also o Is to be bo called to give h o some sonic Information relative o to tu the coal shortage Meanwhile the tho buck is headed on its wa way people ward |
