Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-18
TWO REPORTS ON
COAL SHORTAGE
Lawrence Stands Alone as Min
GRITTY Favoring Regulation of
Rates on Local Traffic.
is TOO LATE FOR ACTION.
Present Session WIN Pass Problem zap
To Members of The Eighth As.
sembly 10 Meet In 1905.

Among the last legislative movements
to reach definite form In this assem-
bly, has been that growing out OF rall-
road commission agitation. some ~
hours after tho legislature was OIL
cia1Iy dead. two reports came in' one
generating the roads from Oh plane 'il
connection with the coal shortage last
winter, and the other hndins them
guilty ia that their equipment Is de.
clared 10 be in wretched condition
The minority report IS slsneu "ilts pS
committee sign majority report rec
nrnrnendfnr that no action be taken
Lawrence iavoTing rate regulation.
The coal committee was joint one,
and was unique In that Harry Joseph
refused to concede the senate the cour-
tssv of having one Of it's members pre-
sIde over a. Joint committee. This broke
an old precedent, as the upper house
members have always exercised this
privilege before Harry J. Robinson
was made chairman 10 break the dead
lock that occurred, and after the conn
rnittee had finished its investigation.
several weeks went past before time
could be found In which 10 submit a
report
The documents finally submitted fo-
low:
MAJORITY REPORT.
TO the President of the Senate. and the
Speaker OF the House:
We, majority committee, submit the
following report OF the proceedings OF
the special Joint committee of the legis-
lsture OF the State OF Utah. appointed
to Investigate the subject Of coal short
age, etc, as our findings in said tnves-
tigAtlon:
we began our investigation OF inquiry
on Thursday. Feb. IA 1907, having pre-
viOusiy met and organized said Joint
committee by the election OF Represen-
tatiye Robinson, chairman, and Repre-,
sentative ToIton, secretary of said
committee, and further by the appoint
nIent OF Senator wrence 70 conduct
the examination witnesses.
The committee employed as MS official
stenogra pher, Mr.. Daniel Homer, at a
compensation OF $40 per day, and fur
Their authorized him to make four
copies of the transcript OF his notes for
the use Of the committee
There were examined, during the said
Investigation. the following named wit
nesses viz; Richard r. Morris Will
liam b. sprague Robert March, John
r. Brough. Isaac Barton, John +,
pooly, f. A. Smith. Conner Thomas H.
g.. Williams, Charles Q. Harris VII
liam S. Mccarthy. Charles H. Griffin.
Col, T.. a. Wall. Fl, s. Joseph, and Ru-
ruS II. Curtis, who each and all re-
sponded Willingly to the questions pro-
pounded by Senator Lawrence and
members of the committee.
The basis for questions propounded
to- the various witnesses is sug eested
by the following statement made by
Senator Lawrence to the first witness
interrogated, viz:
The object and purpose OF this in
vessiga-tion is 10 derive information. SO
far as the Joint committee of the legis-
1ature are concerned. 10 report back to
the respective bodies, such information
as may be CLEANED from witnesses, bear
ing upon the coal shortage in the State
OF Utah, and determinations In rates
upon the tr5-nsp ortation OF coal 10 vaTi-
GUS parts OF the state. and generally
With reference to the Transportation
problem, in its vafioIs phases, as at
fecting the interests and welfare OF
the citizens and Industries of this state
That is the general scope OF the inquiry
OF the committee
That the citizens and Industries of the
state suffered greatly during the past
season through the coal shoria get goes
without saying, and cannot be de-
MED, and the purpose OF this commit
tee was to determine, II possible. where
In the fault lay The consensus of
opinion and preponderance OF evidence
tended to show the following state of
facJs. viz;
FACTS DEVELOPED.
L. That the total tonnage Of coal
mined at the Utah Fuel companys
mines aggregated approximately 1882
2ts tons,
. That the amount shipped out Of
the State Of Utah from The productions
OF its own mines Is shout $500 tons
g. That the amount shipped into the
state from Rock Springs, etc. Wyon-
ing, exceeded The amount shipped out
Of the state.
mines owned by private individuals and
corporations is the same In all cases,
Nlz;~-S2 per ton and that a uniform
rate Of transportation for all parties.
on lump on market coal is ST. n per
ton and on slack coal, 81, so per ton.
While the testimony varied
somewhat, the preponderauce of evil
danee developed the fact that coal milne !,
operators had done all in their power
10 mine and place on the market az
graf tonnage as possible with the
number OF men they We're able to Sc
cure TO operate their mines; and fur
iher that the transportation companies
mao taxed their rolling stock TO the ut
hlosl capacity to handle the same, in
some cases taking their motive power
Irosn handling other commodities In
o'uet 10 give the coal industry the
preference when this is said, there
rs no Disgusting the fact that the rail-
loaa companies rolling stock Is not
the best and Ia not kept up to the
standard Of efficiency that the urgency
on Ine case, and demands Of the public,
require
o. The testimony OF some OF the Wit
nesseh substantlated and disclosed the
tacl mat Industrial activity, Increased
demands On some cases amounting 70
nllnnlAn hnr Al