The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-14

fourths OF the coal consumed in that state !
and in the city in which l live, having a
population of some 5000 people. where
each day in the various mining and
smelling enterprises and for domestic
purposes; is SUPPLIED by the railroad com
panies. Were it not for the railroads that
have made it possible to open up mines
all through that western country, sup
plying fuel not only for domestic but in
dustrial purposes, those great Industries
could not have reached the marvellous
stage Of development which we find there
Obliged to Mine Coal.
The Northern Pacific Railway com
pany was obliged to go into coal mining
for its own protection, and it is today en-
ploying in the state of Montana 5000 coal
miners and mas quilt UP large town at
Red Lodge in the eastern part of the
state. The Great Northern Railroad com
pany likewise opened coal mines IN north
ern Montana. These roads were not only
obliged to do this to- meet their own re
Short Line. operating from the south,
were called upon to furnish at least three
fourths of ali the coal consumed in the
state There were times there when not
Withstanding the greatest efforts OF those
companies TO supply the people with coal,
owing to a congestion Of business, there
We're coal famines in all the towns or
Montana; and what would have been the
condition of the people of that state had 4
not been for the railroads owning and
mining and shipping supplies of coal to
meet their requirements?
Il wish 20 say further that in no in
stance in my experience of over thirty
years in Butte, no matter how scarce
| that commodity has been. they have new
er raised the price of coal to the con-
sumer- The railroads have been ar es-
sentiaI factor in the development of the
western country which we should not
overlook in our desire to protect a few
/ shippers i'm West Virginia.
New Feature Presented.
/ ton which I want to present to the sen
ate. All over that western part of this
continent, as has been shown by the de-
velopment of half 4 century, discoveries
! of great mines have been made and are
still being made everywhere In many
| instances mines are found containing base
metals. lead and copper at points many
miles away from any railroad. Persons
who own those mines of base metals can
/ not work them unless they have railroad
| facilities. Butte was kept back for fiji
! teen years for want of railroad facilities,
where mines have been discovered and
/ developed and found to be big mines. but
being owned by individuals or perhaps by
| a single company, there was no railroad
] company that would undertake to build
! a line to them for the reason that it would
be hazardous, as they might shut down
the mines at any time What was the
result? The owners of the mines. the in
dividuals or the company, as the case
branch road themselves to the nearest
| road. in order to secure access TO the mar
kets of the world for the products of their
mines.
Case in Arizona.
southern Arizona The Copper Queen
Mining company is owned by Phelps.
! Dodge * Co, and they have a number of
the greatest mines in that wonderful ter
ritory. They were obliged for their own
protection to build 4 road about 300 miles
in length, ana today il is in operation
When that road was constructed II be-
came a common carrier, subject to the
rules and regulations of the interstate
[ commerce commission. Now, what are
you going to do under this amendment
/ with Sucn q proposition as that? i my
self was obliged TO build road shorter
than that. but twenty-eight miles IN
length, before 1 could get the products OF
. a copper mine to the market. When /
COMPLETED that road some fifteen years
ago il became an Interstate commerce
road. because all the products went out,
and supplies came in. through other states
BY this provision. how am l to pro-
coed? I am between the devil and the
idaep sea. viii either have to stop the
operations of the mine or the railroad.
Many Like Instances.
There are number of other instances
Of this same character all over the mighty
west i should like to know, as L in
qUired before what disposition are you
going TO make of such enterprises? Are
you going TO throttle them on account OF
some imaginary or actual grievance
against railroads elsewhere? l say i'm
/ aginary,' because good deal of II is i'm
. aginary. although there are localities
where evils do exist. Wherever railroad
/ company, owning its own coal mines, un
. dertakes to mine coal and ship it out il
competition with other coal mine Oper
ators. and refuses to furnish them ample
facilities for transportation OF their prod
ucts to the markets, / would be in faYo
of legislation as strict and radical as an!
2 one here to prevent grievances of tina
kind But l believe, Mr.. President, tina
Z the consideration of this question Shoult
be had separate and apart from the grea
proposition with which We are now deal
! Ing. Let us endeaVor to establish inter
state commerce with such restrictions an'
prohibitions will result in fair ant
equitable treatment, i'm protection of tn
interests of both shipper and carrier, bu
- in doing this should not incur the risl
r of destroying or crippling legitimate en-
2 terprises Therefore, I said before
: am in every respect in sympathy wit
\ and i'm favor of stringent legislation, bu
n / I shall oppose every amendment Of thi
+ / character, which in my opinion will worl
: a great injustice to q great number o
? neOpIe and result in harm TO some of tn
/ great enterprises throughout the western
4 country.
o sixty Years Experience o. a. oI,
~ Nurse.