The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-26
FUEL IN SALT LAKE
IS HIGH PRICED
Testimony Before Interstate
Commerce Commission Shows
Citizens Are Held Up.
RAILROADS ABSOLUTELY
CONTROL THE MARKET
Investigation Now Completed,
and Commission Has
Gone to Denver.

Only one session of the Interstate
Commerce commission was held Tues
day, and in the morning. When tho
commission met after lunch no wit
nesses were present and an adjourn
ment was taken until 10 clock Thurs
day morning when the commission will
reassemblc at Denver.
The testimony given at the morning
session had special reference 10 al
legged discriminatory rates granted by
the Oregon Short Line to the Union
Pacific Coal company the maintenance
of the price of coal in Salt Lake City
by the Union Pacific and the Rio
Grande companies, alleged secret tariff
schedules; and the cost Of the opera
ton of the coal mines and its relation
TO tile price of coal
\ significant fact III connection with
Monday s hearing was the allusion
made by J. T. Marchand. counsel for
the commission, and quoted in yes
terday 8 Tribune, that they might es-
tablish closer connection between the
Union Pacific Coal company and it's
employees IN the taking up of lands BY.
the examination OF George l.. Black,
Superintendent, but this would have to
be done at the expense Of Mr.. Black $
immunity from criminal prosecution,
TO hear the testimony of Mr.. Black
Mr.. Marchand has stated that he
would not have placed D. o. Clark,
manager of the Union Pacific Coal
company, on the stand at the iuvestiga-
tion In Omaha last week had he known
then what he knows now, and his
statement on Monday is significant,
taken as it is of indication that crim-
NAL prosecution may follow as a result
Of the conditions brought TO light i'll
the testimony adduced at tho inquiry
Should the criminal law be invoked
against those who have seemingly vio-
lated statutes in the acquirement Of
coal lands there will be furrying
and CONSERVATION in another inner cir
Gle, different TO that one with which
Tribune readers are already perfectly
familiar.
Besides Commissioner Prouty, Messrs.
Marchand aud Thomas, counsel for the
commission, and J.. L. Williams and
Judge John W Lacey Of Cheyenne
were again present at yesterday s scs-
SION.
Mark Hopkins Tells Story.
The first witness called was Mark
Hopkins. mining engineer, of Salt Lake.
He said be entered the employ of the
Union Pacific in 1886 as assistant TO
d. o. Clark, with headquarters at Rock
Springs. In 1902 he supcrintended tho
on which were expended SI50,00U in
eight months. The output now is about
1000 tons per day and when the mines
got down to business The cost was
about eighty cents per ton and today
it does not exceed, $l.00.
ID. o. Clark fixed the rates on ma
terial and a rate OF one-half cent "a
mile was made by tho Oregon Short
Line to Cumberland, For laborcrs and
employees in the coal department q rate
of one cent per mile was made. Tho
freight rate on material only applied
when the shipment originated on tho
Short Line
Fred w, Gray Of Omaha, opened the
Hopkinsvillo mine, about four miles
southwest of Rock Springs, which ia
now the property of the Central Coal
6 Coke company. They paid higher
freight rate than the Union Pacific
Coal company. The rate they paid was
published, that paid by tho Union Pa
cifc Coal company was not.
Mr.. Prouty-1t seems great many
attempts have been made to work mines
IN Wyoming which were not successful
Mr. Hopkins-That is a fact.
Mr., Prouty-The extent of coal de-
posts In Wyoming appear TO be unlim-
tied, but II appears some cannot be op-
Grated because the coal is of poor quail
ity
Mr. Hopkins said the good coal is
confined almost entirely to what is
known as the Laramie properties. One
of tho reasons for abandoning q good
many mines was that some operators
thought they had TO be tried as pro-
ducers. and when they made the ex-
pertinent they found it too expensive
and abandoned it. To operate a coal
mine successfully in that field il should
be worked on the incline and should be
located on an established line of rail
road. He believed that small owners
could operate these mines just as cheap
ly as the large corporations, providing
they received tho same railroad tacill-
ties for transportation. The side track
which he put in 1T Hopkinsville was
put in on The basis that he should pay
ono-half of the cost, that IL be the
property Of the Union Pacihc, and that
company would operate il, He would
not say, however. that that was the
usual custom.
The witness detailed at length the
conditions OF labor at the mines, the
methods of work and the price per ton.
which be placed at general average Of
Price of Coal.
Coming down 10 the price of coal in
Salt Lake, ne considered it was too
high. He thought 30 cents ton was
low basis and according TO tho price
at the mine, and allowing for percent
age OF loss. As 10 freight rate, figuring
or the Castle Gate coal, which cost Sl.75
per ton for transportation, he said the
actual cost of transportation was about
n cents per ton, and at those rates hs
would "like to own The railroad, With
coal costing 81 per ton at the mine and
the company charging 50 per ton, OF
course he did not object TO that price
so long as he was operating mine. but