The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-09
COAL OWNERSHIP
AND THE RAILWAYS
A Correspondent Who Fears
Evils on Passage OF Senate
Bill No. 90.
POINTS OUT OPPORTUNITIES
TO CREATE COAL TRUST
Thinks 1t Would Nulllfy the
Interstate Commerce Law
Regulating Railways.

Editor Tribune Realizing the great
Importance to the present ana lu1uie
generation of the people OF 'hls 80
sbould Senate bill No. % pass ana pc
come law. and as free c1tlzeh Oh JUG
growing State, 7 deem it necessary 20
say something to you IN reGIiu
clause Of this bill relatlhg t;on % oas ~" ~
ership Of coal lands, the operation %o
coal mines and its bv-products py 'pe
railroads of this state
The coal trust of this State and WY
ominr controls the coal supply o. LhIs
territory, 1T owns tho railroads thag
transport it. and holds in the hollow OF
lis hand the dealers who distribute III
TO the consumers
In the brief period of its existence,
it's extortions represent profit or many
millions and the only present hmlt TO
its power to mulct the public is the
communities ability to pay, Thus far
no trust buster has been strong enough
to make any lnroads on It's lron-cIau
organization; TO say there was no
chance ahead would be an admission
that neither right nor justice shall pre-
vail.
If should have presented to the hon.
orable Legislature of this State a Dill
giving the right TO own and control the
entire output of gold in the world, the
tion to such a measure and the commu-
nifty at large would be tTust-busters,
but when 1 say that if Senate bill No:
95 shall become law, that 1t would
create far greater trust and monopoly.
and in support of this contention L
wish TO quote the United States Geolo-
gical Survey report for the year 1904,
showing the entire output OF gold in
the world of $350,000000, then com
pairing a small strip of territory 10
miles long and 20 miles wide in Penn
syIvania, whose product in coal for the
year 1904 was $3.50, 100000. some idea
of the greatness of this bill can be ap-
preciated
1 wish to say that the reason Of the
coal famine this year was principally
from the reason of the diversion OF
coal from this territory to Kansas and
Nebraska. let me show you why. The
freight on all coal to this city is Sl,75
per ton, whether it comes 112 miles
over the D. g. r. G. or 252 miles over
coal companies would rather get $3.50
per ton and ship to Kansas and Ne
braska.
When the Western Pacific Railroad
company is completed to San Francisco
the freight rate will nearly treble the
revenue for the railroad company IN
fornin points. Do you, knowing the
great desires of the railroad officials
to make dividends on watered stock,
suppose for one second that the rail
road companies owning coal companies,
would protect Utah people when they
conld make three times as much If coal
were sent to California or Kansas
pointsa Railroad corporations are not
organized for the people who grant
them valuable concessions, but are for
Eastern and foreign stockholders to
reap the benefits and revenues there
from.
Should this bill pass and become a
law. the amount of coal to be mined
would be decided upon, no more being
taken out of the ground than necessary
to keep up high prices. 1t could name
the minimum price of coal for five
years in advance; it would control the
price from its being mined until
burned; ii would never name maxi
mum rate, as that would depend on
economic conditions which means
the public 8 ability to pay, 1t would
not only control the price of coal, but
also the profit to be made by each per-
son and company handling ii, from tho
large wholesaler Of large city to the
smallest retailer. Of the smallest town.
Those poor, ignorant dealers, who
they had right to do business as they
saw fit and who sought TO augment
their total profits by cutting prices to
increase sales have, like D. J. Sharp,
been swiftly swept from the field and
shown the error of their way by coal
being refused to them. Senate bill No.
30 will extend to common carriers much
greater power that ever was intended
by Congress and would be the means
whereby 1T could enter every field of
trade and business to the great detri-
ment OF the present and future gene
ratlons, making 1T necessary to make
investments of money through the rail.
roads IN the different lines of business
or give up large portions of one IS prop
erty to be even allowed the privilege
first granted the railroad companies as
common carriers, and for which il Is
intended they do without fear or favor
AS stated by Attorney Williams of
the Union Pacific Railway company
and the Union Pacific Coal company
last evening before the mass meeting
held In the Commercial club rooms the
coal companies owned by the Denver
Paclhc kNlroad company, have illegally |
done business for some Il years in Ttpb !
and some % years in Wyoming, aud
that IT was necessary to secure the Das.
sage of this bill to legalize their pas
and future action. 1t seems very pecr-
liar and mighty poor grace after So 1
many years, of illegal practices. to now.
ffe days before the adjournment of |
our State Legislature, try ami rush |
through so important a bill without .he |
people knowing fully its intents and |
purposes.
No State in this Union has granted