| Show HOW SMALL COAL OAL DEALERS WERE VERE t SQUELCHED BY UNION PACIFIC I L tc R Railroad Absolutely Refused Said to Furnish Cars Cars for i. i the Transportation of Product From the Adaville Mine of Wyoming I Jl t l' l lI 4 t fc LIGHT THROWN ON PRICE FIXING IN SALT LAKE LAKE KE 7 j D O. O J J. J Sharp Tells Interstate Commerce Commission How He Het Was Forced O Out t of Busin Business ess Because He Wouldn't t t Yield to Oregon Short Line I c r Inquiry into the thc methods and ac- ac aC 1 i nf ot tho lines JInes In lug Jug mining and transporting coal and ll J oil and into the poll policy of oC the Union and antI Oregon Short Line ralls rail rall- s j In Ift stilling stifling competition In coal conI vj v J along their line and refusing to transI trans- trans 4 I ort coal conI from rom mines other than those I y owned by tho railroad companies and 5 I subsidiary concerns was begun b by th thee the the- I e interstate commerce commission In Inv I v c falt K lt Lako Lake yesterday e The he r F tion which I 1 is expected to last two M f or three days dag is being conducted b by bys s Commissioner Charles A. A out Prouty and t lV the Hie coun counsel el for tho ho commission Is EImer Kl- Kl mer iier E E. Thorna and J J J- JT T T. Marchand Marchanti At the lie beginning of or the In ti lion i K E M. M Allison Jr representing J the Denver Rio Grande Glande railroad ys- ys f- f fi i tem asked askeLl If IC his presence before the commission would be required and Mr h Prouty in stating the tho purpose of oC the investigation to deal in a general wa way with tho the actions of or the Union Pacific system r tem said hl that other othel matters matter per per- to the thc mining and transportation lion tion of oC coul coat b by other roods roads might ml come up Incidentally The scope of the In- In however wan vas to be generally gen gen- to the harriman Unco continuing the thc work of the commission that had been started in the thc East s th was h the eom- eom not Know the or the sec secre- secre re- re ary of ot Hit ho company He lie displayed nn an equal lacU hek of knowledge regarding fa r the past or present of ot any coal cx combination or a aso- aso asso 1 elation 0 of coal coa denIers dealers in Salt alt 1 TAke Lake rike and could not KUg suggest st an any reason a ato ato t to how It hat happened that all city prices Were verc on the same game basis and antI prices s were changed by ull all dealers at nt the same mo time The ThC attorneys for fOI the commission com corn mission art after r clue questioning foi for some som time Ume elicited the Information from OBrien O'Brien that he believed the city prices of or the Citizens Citizens' Coal company of or Salt SaIl Lake LalLe of oC which he Is a 0 stockholder stock stock- holder were vero fixed by the manager of ot the lie company The I witness wild said the freight rote rate l from froni lom the mines of or the Diamond company com corn pany nan nt at Wyo ryo to Salt Snit Lake Lafle were a 0 ton for fur carload lots Jots there being no r reduction of lots of more than ten carloads and no rebates rebate S granted by the he railroad or deviation go so fatS far as u he know knew Tho The Diamond corn com liany he lie said sold about com I tonof tons ton of or coal a year yea in Salt Lake Cost of Mining t Testimony was Introduced to show It cost tt approximately 70 to SO 80 cents a n. ton to mine the tho coal coni and load I It on the cars care at ut the mine This with a H. ton freight to Salt Sall Lake makes nake the coal cost 2 60 a ton In Salt Sail Lake am and the retail price is 18 maintained at 25 a ton by ly all nil df dealers Further lurther testimony of ot Mr AIr OBrien O'Brien O'BrienS S developed tho ho information that the railroads collect ct the price of the coal coni as ns well as the freight transportation prices when the coal is delivered thus thul giving the railroads positive Information I S lion tion regarding tho the cost of the coal to dealers anti and consumers Mine prices ho lIt said were 2 2 per ton for tor nut and lump and S Jl i 1 for Cor slack there hero being cIng Lr generally only three grades Mr OBrien O'Brien said sale the Diamond compan company com corn or less pan pany usually experienced more moro trouble in getting cars ars from the railroads railroads rail rall- roads roas for Cor handling coal from the mines during the he tune time from Sept 1 I to March 1 Mr 11 Bancroft's Tc Testimony W V H. H Bancroft vice rico president and andri ri general manager of the Oregon Short having tho the Union Pacific c line lineS LIne Lino 4 S between Green River on the thc east cost and Sparks Nov e eon on the west under his S. S Jurisdiction testified that he owned no S stock In the tie Diamond Coal company compan He Ill said Mid further UIther that he had never been heon a a. stockholder of the tho company and j that stock of ot that concern had novel nevet him by a a. man boon held in trust for Ol for tor thet tho the flamed Remington Attorneys commission asked Mr tr Bancroft what t arrangements arrangements ho had with the United SS States companies SS Copper r company or of oT Anaconda or other for tor copper copper cop cop- the per Diamond from ot of coal ir Anaconda MV Dan Ban to tn A naco WyO 0 In force rates knew little about croft crot and know kneW of or no special rato quoted to companies that was the he large Jarge copper to other con con- rates given on lower lover aimer than bali Ho lie also dented denied that ho had hadan of ot 4 of a n special rate S. S an any knowledge coal shipped mile on mills pet per ton per uI 5 Fur Fur- i from he that to the lh best and ond belief no rebates reo re- ot his were given to the copper trust trusi o bates of oC coal lie He was asked on ot of Governor 1 connection the tr If during no with the tho COil cOpIer per company compan Lynn was made mado giving a a. coal to these concerns on ii cia cal 1 rate rat lie he would have to said o tr dr department ot of the tho refer reCer to tito tho traffic I answer and n definite railroad to a informed him that he the attorney from his for tor testimony k was wait seekIng and not from the I individual Mr Bancroft said So u traffic c had never hover refused track the tho i railroad r I connection to nn any company compan when asked particularly about tho the Ada Coal Coa corn company compan pany cs l Didn't Know l J Reeves general passenger agent of the Oregon Short Line sold old he knew of no special rates concessions conces conces- or 01 i rebates having been given toI to the copper er trust b by the lie Union PacIfic I or Oregon Short Line companies for forthe forthe or the transportation of or coal lie sale said he believed the coal rate from Dla Dla- to Anaconda and Butte Bulte which arc are regarded as ns common points was being a blanket rate on all aft grades o of coal The attorney for forthe the commission referred to papers in his possession from Cram which he lie understood the rate was JS 3 JG j for Ol slack coal anti ami 4 4 for Cor or other grades Mr Ir Reeves said salt In his official capacity he ho had no way of or knowing positively whether or not all nil coal billed as slack shack to tho lie copper companies was properly graded He lie thought Il It might be he the dut duty of or the auditors auditor's department to ascertain Ull this Mr MI Reeves wild that If there was un any special secret unknown or 01 unpublished rate on coal for Ol the copper coppel companies com corn panIcs It would have been made b by byJ J J. J C. C Stubbs manager of ot th Harriman lInes cst cil cd to Furnish h Cars ais Robert Hobert S. S Spence an attorney of oC I g Evanston Wyo 0 who vIto has been In the theland laud land business s since 1871 and amI who said ald lit In litas wa was as familiar with the bc geology y of Wyoming and anti th tho th coal and oil deposits de dc- de- de I posits of the the- state In a general wa way ra I w was tho lie next witness The attorneys 8 to l cd Mr SP li IJ n t r J l i 4 0 i a V Short ho Lino d n QUI four or f miles west of ot the mine He lie Hald stId a good Hta start t had hod been been made macle Inthe in inthe the Un development of the mine and that eight miles of ur railroad had been built buill I to connect with lh the Oregon l Sh Short Line b by the owners of or the mine Who w wore re capitalists represented by Jacob Stearnes and J J. J J 1 K Cre Crever r n of f Now New York Mr M fr Spence said he asked the manager of the mine wh why It was Idle 1110 and abandoned and was told It was wa because they could make no ar- ar mentH with th the tho railroad rail load to handle their coal The mine he lie saId mid was in a vein of or coal coat 80 SO feet vIde and that there was wat another vein about 25 5 feet wide on the top ot of it He lie said mid the tho information given to him by bythe bythe bytho the tho managers of ot the mine was to the tho effect that the Oregon Short Line absolute absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab- ab solute refused to furnish cars forthe for forthe or orthe the transportation tl of or coal coni fh The witness witness witness wit wit- ness al also o told of tho tin action of the Union Pacific in freezing out another mine 14 miles from Crom Evanston and after the operators were forced to abandon the enterprise the thc Harriman lines put prices back on their former fOlmer basis 1 tail road 4 Object When asked as to the lie cost of ot the production of coal in Wyoming ho said he believed coal could be mined and sold at a fair WI profit anywhere along the be Oregon Short Line for 3 per ton The Thc coal conI he said could l bo put on the cars ealS at the Uie mine for tor from Cram 75 76 or 80 cents per ton Attorneys for foi the Union Pacific P raised an obJection objection objection ob ob- ob- ob when Mr 11 Spence said ho was Interested in the tho mine that was not being operated because he knew there thele w was s no use uso in trying to got get tho the Union I Pacific to handle his coal Mr Spence said he know knew it was useless to try to compete with th the Union Pacific railroad rail oil I road and the Union Pacific Coal comI company com corn puny pany in iii view of or the tho experience of ot the I Rocky Hocky Mountain Coal company In iii Wyoming Judge Judg Lacey of Cheyenne rep representing the Union Pacific Railway Railway Rail flail way company raised objection when the he attorneys for tOI the lie commission tried to draw out evidence regarding the methods used by tho the Union Pacific Coal company In obtaining possession of ot largo large tracts of ot coal land in Wyom- Wyom ing ng The information was brought out however that 22 2 entries on land wore were taken aken by the superintendent of at tho the Coal company in his name nome and that the coal coni company put up UI shacks on many of ot the homestead claims which were taken by of the th company How Sharp Was Vas us Forced Out D D. J J. J Sharp wo was the most interest interesting InterestIng Interest Interest- I ing witness during the lie afternoon session ses sos sion and his testimony gave considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able information regarding the control of the tho Union Unton Pacific railroad over overprices overprices prices paid by every consumer in Sail Salt I Lake Mr Sharp said he tie had no I business because cause ho he could get no coal to sell Ills His star story as brought out IJ by bythe bythe the thc questions lu u asked by the tho commission was vas that he advertised in the tho daily papers of or Salt Lake that he hc would give customers tb the benefit of ot the tho GO O cents reduction made made- by the railroads and coat cOal companies during the tho summer I I months Ho said lId the tile Union Pacific Coal company owne owned by the thc Union Pacific railroad told him he hc must withdraw his advertisements from tho the papers or they would sell him no more coal conI The Tuo reason given shen by thu the Union Pacific company was that unless Sharp stopped selling coal at 47 75 the Central Central Cen Cars rat Coal Coat Coke company would cut cul tho the price to 1175 and keep it at nt that figure III HI Profit In Coal Coul Mr Sharps Sharp's further testimony tie ilo- Continued on oil T Two o. o HOW Y SMALL S AlL COAL DEALERS WERE S SQUELCHED DY BY UNION PACIFIC Continued From o One eloped the lie fact that the local a agent of or tIme the Union Pacific Coal Coat company waa wan responsible for Cor the time last advance ance in iii the retail price of ot coal in iii Salt SaiL Lake from 55 6 to 5 6 He t saul uhl he raised his price when requested to tu do so u by bythe bythe the thc manager of or the he Union Pacific company and at Ht that thai time lime ho lie was as Informed In- In formed forme that all the time other othea retail dealers would make a similar advance which thc they all nil did at lit the time same t-Iame time At this time hue 11 he lie 0 said ml local dealers were paying 3 5 a ton for tor coal sot tot down downin in iii Salt SaiL Lake Lalie giving a profit o of per ton toll I Ordered Mr Mi Il Sharp told of ot hl his re resigning a as agent for fat the time Plea Pleasant ant Valley niley Coal company b causo the price was raised arbitrarily to 51 In November o 1003 1903 lie He said sall his understanding tan as at that after the advance ance had hud been made E. E II H. harriman visited Salt Lake anti and Governor Go Wells ells asked hIm him wh why It was vas that he ha had forced all un of the other coal companies in iii Utah to lo advance thou their prices arbitrarily to He Ho understood that thaL Mr II Harriman then lien ordered ll a a. re reduction Thomas M. M I. I Abbott of ot Farmington testified that two years ago UJO he ho tool took lookup up a a. quarter section of or land In Wyoming Wyo 0 ming at the instigation of ot his son on who ilmo acted as his agent in tho ho transaction I This son on who I Is now way right i agent for tho the Or Oregon gon Short Line told him Mm It wa was a a. coal claim Mr h Abbott had never ne seen seeli the lan land and further testified that lint he ho knew nothing about It His HII wife also took up a claim In Inthe inthe the same Mime manner and both had been beon sold to the railroad e coal al companies Was us I IF F F. W W. Spaulding who said ho lie was I I i an attorney in tho legal of or I i the Union Pacific at Wyo i said he lie had taken takemi a n section quarter of or lan land which had been transferred IB ts I D D. 0 O. Clark or Mr 11 Black of or the Union Pacific Coal Coni company lie lie- wa was a reluctant witness all through and auth hl hiS hiS' hisS S experience on the other side of or the thc rail while being cro cro d b by attorney for the commission wn wa to all except the lie witness 8 In answer to questions he lie was forced to admit that ho paid m more rc than for the land money he lie borrowed cd from Crom Mr Ir Black and paid no interest on the tIme loan Joan Ho lie said he ho bou bought ht tho tholand tholand ho holand land with Mr Blacks Black's money monc on n the a advice of ot Mr Mm- Black heM held It only a short time lime and then Ihen re resold d It 11 to Mr 11 Black at t a a- profit lie He said he knew he lie got ot a profit on omi it It because he lie had spent the thc money mone- but bul declined to lo say tay sa how much mone money he had spent Ho said Mr Ir Black loaned him 2200 OO and that lint this loan was repaid when tho the deed for the time land Jand was given to either elthel Mr Mt Black or 01 D. D O. O Clark of ot the Union Pacific Coal Coat COI company Although time the connection of tho coal compa company 1 with the tho filing hung on oum the tho land was wa clear shown clearly shown In ho tho testimony Mr r. r Spaulding thought tho the deal was mado macho In good faith I OO Charles H H. Durham stationary engineer engineer en en- employed b by the Union Pacific Pacific Paci Paci- fic lie Coal Coar company compan for Cor the he last lat seventeen seven seven- teen years cars told about his |
