Show why coal prices are high throughout utah 0 many people are asking the ques tion why are coal prices so high in a state that Is blessed with coal deposits sufficiently large to supply the nation for a considerable period of time in our last issue we pub dished a brief item which seemed to put the burden tor for this high cost on oa the railroad companies and E J duggan a local railroad man now comes out with a statement which places the matter in an entirely dit dif ferent light we are pleased to give space to mr duggan s article and we are likewise only too willing to say that the chief reason why we are now paying such a high price for or coal is that the owners of the coal mines have continued to advance the price of coal until they are now get ting 5 60 50 per ton or nearly double what they were charging tor for fuel a few years ago freight rates on coal are only slightly higher than they were before the war in there are a number of men who in recent months have fol lowed coal mining they state that the coal companies are paying around 1 per ton tor for having their coal mined that the mining expense is pretty much the same as it was halt a dozen years ago and that this indicates that in advancing the price of coal tor for about 2 30 per ton to 5 60 50 the coal companies are simply gouging the consumers tor for this add money it Is 1 tor for the purpose of investigating such profiteering that a grand jury Is now making an investigation |