Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-14
-- a--
FUEL COMPANY
MAKES ADVANCE.

The feature OF the local coal situa.
ton today is the announcement made
about 10 o'clock this morning by the
management Of the Utah Fuel company
that the new schedule of prices ordered
and adopted by the Wyoming producers
would be adopted by the Utah company
on Monday next. That Isl the advance
OF 30 cents per ton win become general
on that date. No reason was given for
this on the part OF the Utah Fuel COM
pany beyond that the management
had thought best TO make the advance
unanimous. However, today, the Utah
Fuel company has been retailing TO It's
regular customers at the old prices,
and as might be expected has been
doing land office business. Compe-
titors claim that the delay in advanc-
ing prices on the part of the Utah peo-
pie has been cunningly devised plan
TO work the grand stand play In maxi
ing itself solid with the public, and got
custom. But the officials of the Utah
company who are IN town say this is all
hot air.
BEGINS NEXT MONDAY.
SO that. beginning next Monday
morning, the househoiders VIII pay $3.50
per ton, where he has been paying S..
Railway and steam coal IL up 20 per
cent, and slack 80 1-3 per cent, but 1t
is not believed that there viii be any
further advance this winter. The rush
by consumers continues, and local
laaI no oil tbair In,
service and win deliver tomorrow, as
well as today The dealers continue to
emphasize their claim of yesterday that
the cause of this advance does not lie
with them, but entirely with the pro-
Queer and the railroads; and where the
latter put UP rates. the retailer must
follow suit In order TO continue busi-
ness,
SUPPLY LOCALLY.
It is claimed now that there is not
much over $1,000 tons In the local
yards, while orders are booked for
nearly half that. But the dealers do
not apprehend any scarcity, and do not
see the necessity for any segregation
of underwear over the situation. A
prominent local dealer remarks:
THE situation is controlled by the
railroad comprehensive Union Pacific
ana the ITO GfAnde, me FORMER con-
trolls the Union Pacific Coal company
which operates the mines along It's
line and the latter controls the Utah
Fuel company, operating ON the Rio
Grande Western. Mine operators can
deliver coal at the yards of dealers in
Salt Lake at SO a ton and make profit
OF sl.l0 on every ton, The cost of coal
delivered on cars at the mine Is about
20 cents The cost of hauling to Salt
Lake does not exceed 81 per ton from
the Wyoming mines. making the cost
delivered at the Salt Lake yards APP
proxlmately $3.50 ton. Even with the
increase of 10 cents ton In wages, the
cost would not exceed 81 a ton,
"The Independent operators are pow
erless TO rmedy this. II they should
cut tho prices on coal below those fixed
by the big companies, the railroads
would promptly raise transportation
charges and put them out OF business
The public IN the lntermountaln region
Is at the mercy OF what Is practically
coal trust, as the two big companies
have hitherto worked in harmony IN
fixing prices. The hitch now appears to
bc due To- the fact that the responsible
head Of one Of the companies Is away
from his office trying to head Off
strikes"