Show SENATE LABORS OVER U COAL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE B R REPORT E PO R RT T By T. T De Witt Will Foster Practically the entire session in the senate this morning was consumed in inthe inthe inthe I the reading of or the report of oC the Joint house and senate coal investigating in committee which report was vae Wed flied yes jes- cs by br George H. H Dern committee commit tee teo chairman Conditions leading up to the tile acute I 1 coal shortage c which later brought bought I about the Investigation by hr the legislative legislative legis legis- lathe committee are reviewed in the early part of or the report and In closing cbs clos In lug ing the lie prelude to the report tic 1110 committee committee com says saB S That since the legislative Investigation Invest Invest- gation salimi began the situation has lias improved im fm proved because the Hie railroads have lu luem I m made de a special effort to deliver coal would scent to indicate that the transportation lines lineR did not put forth Corth their best efforts to reli relieve relie e the situation situation situation sit sit- until oct official notice was tal taken en enor of or the condition Failure of or dealers and ami the railroads to store coal the unprecedented cold weather continuing over o a period much longer bouger than usual and the lack of proper and sufficient transportation facilities to handle the tho coal are given b by the committee as the chief causes for tho the shortage BLAMES RAILROAD RAIL A thorough digest of the lie report does in fact place the actual responsibility reopen for Cor the shortage at nt the doors of of orthe the Denver HIo lUo Grande railroad On this th the report says sayi I It alt Is IR obvious that th lh the coal shortage shortage short short- age was not due to the inability of the mines to supply the coal Neither was it due duo to shortage of or labor The report gives a table of tics showing that in November ember and December the mines were handling about 60 50 per cent of their capac capacity l due to the inability of tho the railroads to supply a sufficient number of or cars to I keep keel them in ill operation I Further on the report carries this I statement to further substantiate the i charge Tho The bulk of the testimony was to toI I the effect cUed that the average a time required required re re- re- re to bring a car of coal conI from the mines to Salt Lake City was four I or five days das This would indicate nn j average speed of about one mile per per hour from which it is obvious that I Ithe tho the cars arc are not kept moving The railroad officials testified that a big hig I I majority of oC tho the trains make the trip In ono one day The trainmen testified that they generally reached Sail Salt Lake Cit City in front from thirty to forty hours This discrepancy is not vital Ital Either statement is sufficient to lo prove that tho the loaded cars instead of or being kept moving are aro allowed to lO stand on nn sidetracks sidetracks side Bide tracks l two thirds or or three fourths of ot the tho time MOTIVE POWER motive available available manI avail man The rue question of power lower able on the Denver Rio Ilio Grande also I is touched on in the report and on I this score the committee gives this information Some of the witnesses thought it I wa was not so much lack of cars carR as lack of motive power that caused the trou trou- I ble hie An testified that dillI during dill dur I Ing ing the cold coM weather there were at atI atone I one time lime or oo loaded cars car of coal i stand standing In at ous points along the theline theline I line ro fot foi want of or power to move e them I testified that during dur- dur 1 ing big th j worst oal shortage there I emptied from Ninth South in hI Salt SaltI I Lake ty tl it to within four miles s of I. th that thiat both of the Rio Ilio Grande yards yards' Salt Lake City were blocked blocker with e empties that the Ore Oregon on Short Line delivered empties which the tho Deni Den- Den i I ver vel Rio Ilio Grande Crande could not tako take care I I 0 of t the Pacific sidetracks side side- tracks tracks' vere were filled fitted with empty cars carsto carsto carsto to a PO fifty miles from front Salt Lake I that on on otte of those passing seventysix seventy seventy- six cars stood for three weeks and that in fact fact there Were ere empty cars I all in good order from one end of the Salt SnIt Lake division ision to the other LOADED CARS I With reference to loaded cars heI ho lie I testified that there were loads at every place where there was room for tor them coming coining west Those empty empt and loaded cars were not all Denver I Rio Ilio Grande Grandc equipment hut but the they were available for coal service and the fact that they were not Jn use in Indicated Indi l- l a shortage of motor power Whether hether the new cars and locomotives I Lives tives which the Denver Rio Grande Crande has ordered will be sufficient Is a question that is hard to answer says I the committee in its conclusions he cause it depends upon so 50 many con eon I This committee will not unI undertake undertake un un- un- un I e to answer it It hut bitt will simS simI simply sim sim- S ply say that it is convinced that more I ro rolling lin stock was urgently needed this winter In other words one thing tiling necessary necessary necessary essary to insure the he state of or Utah against future fuel Cuel famines Is more adequate transportation Uon facilities |