The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-19
So Declares a Consumer"
Who Gives Facts and Fig
ures on Subject.
SHOWS WHY THE
FIGURE Is AWAY UP
Believes That Black Diamonds
Can Be Sold Here for
So Per Ton.

Editor Tribuue;-That there is
Community of Interest, whether OK.
pressed iu writing, signed, sealed and
delivered before witnesses, or by
gentleman S agreement regarding
the price OF coal in Salt Lake is suc-
cessful proof when the figures are
analvzed. That the price Of coal de-
liveTed to the consumer III this city is
outrageous is equally beyond question:.
That the delivery price is made regard
less of the cost of production, cost OF
handling, with reasonable and Just
margin of profit is more than apparent.
Accounting the bare cost Of the coal,
including the cost of mining, manage
ment. loading and marketing ms n dol
lar per ton for commercial use,
which is the maximum in any of the
producing coal mines the product of
which comes 90 this market, and IN
most. il is from ten to twenty cents
per ion less. TO this must be added
freight at n reasonable rate for the
distance hauled. grades being consid-
cred. Here is the haul in miles from
the mines that supply Salt Lake.
Miles.
Rock Spring. to Salt Lakc..........,22 22s
kemmcrer to Salt Lake .-...-.-..., 222
Clear Creek to Salt Lake ......-..-..... l11.6
Castle Gate to Salt Lake .,.,......-- -llo.S
For this class of freight. loaded by
the consignor, unlOadcd by the con-
signee, a rate of one-half cent per ton
per mile is considered as a fair and
remunerativc rate. The rate eXacted,
however, is Sl1j per ton from all
points mentioned to Salt Lake City,
regardless OF distance, whether Ill
miles from Castle Gate or 299 from
Kemmerer via McCammon.
The price of commercial lump coal.
I. o. b. cars Salt Lake is $3.50 per
ton Of 1000 pounds. mine weight, losses
by slack or other cause at the dealer s
risk. The slackage. amounting To ten
per cent, and practically unsaleable. is,
the dealer s. risk and must be credited
to him and not to the mining com
pany. Mine operators in Pennsylvania,
mining similar tonnages as those con-,
trolling the local market are satisfied
with a margin of five cents per ton
ten cents is magnificent The local
corporations are not satisfied with less
than sevcnty-hve, and when two or
three years ago the miners were grant
ed an increase in the Utah mines of
five cents per ton, the company so adj
vancing increased the price 10 the con-
sumner twenty-five cents per ron.
With the coal I. o. b. Salt Lake at
$3.50, with ten per cent slackage
added, 1886, city haulage and delivery
at forty cents, making St25. there is
no good reason for the present price
OF $5.25 per ton, when the general
average consumption is taken at 1900
tons per diem.
The administration expense Of coal
yard is not excessive, Weighmen,
clerks, laborers, are not overpaid men
and usually paid by the piece in load
ing and unloading. Twenty-Five cents
is ample to cover this expense and yard
rentals Twenty-Five cents should be
ImDlo nTnht Ia Iha ,I.alfp a..
present consolidation pool. community
of interest, gentlemen s agreement. or
whatever it be called, there is practi-
callY no loss IN what is TO all intents
cash business. Putting things fairly,
the price may be calculated
Coal, I. o. b. mine 81 90
Freight. basis Rock Springs to salt
Lake City, &c ton mile ....... ia
NJ. s2i4
s2.24
Yard ,rackase, 10 per cent ....... .2s
Loading and yard expense .-... rs
ht'"u pIont .....,.. ,........-..,.... %
City haulage .................. 40
Total -. .,.................. ss.36
Based upon the Castle Gate haul in.
dependently, this figure should be fair
" reduced % cents per ton. or de-
livered to consumer at S2.77' There
is absolutely no Just reason for the
eXorbltant charge Of 1925 now made
for coal. IL cannot be considered i'm
any other light than robbery OF our
citizens. There must bc an end OF gen
tlemen y agreements and fair com
petltlon upon an open market for n
staple article of commerce, and $3.50
per ton is n fair price which citizens
should be willing to pay and the coal
mlne operator glad TO accept.
CONSUMER