The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-12
WILL MUTILATE
RAILROAD BILL
Senate to Cut Out Subdivision
Relating to Mine Own
erShip.
TIME MAY BE EXTENDED
WILL GIVE COMPANIES CHANCE
TO SELL OUT.
TIME MAY BE EXTENDED

Senate bill No. IS. the measure codi-
flying the railroad laws of the state will
probably pass the senate this afternoon
without The provision allowing the rail-
roads to own and operate coal or iron
mines. II was to have been considered
yesterday. but by request of Senator "
n. Williams of Salt Lake it was made
a special order for this afternoon to en-
able him to examine it carefully.
The chief objection offered is to sub
division OF section g. which states that
railroads may own and operate coal and
Iron mines and may control other COM
panies owning such mines. provision
allowing them to own water rights is also
objected to
1t is argued by those who oppose grant
ing those powers TO the transportation
companies that it will place the coal fields
of the state under the control Of The
railroads: that il will act as a serious
handicap TO the upbuilding OF the state;
mat the coal fields should be operated
by all that desire to engage in the busi-
ness, and that the attempt Of the rail-
roads to control them is an infringement
on the rights of the people.
The other Side.
Those opposed TO eliminating this pro-
vision from the bill say that if railroad
companies are prohibited by law from
shipping the products of their mines 10
purposes after May ]. 1908. the people of
the state Will experience the greatest
coal famine ever known in the state
The Union Pacific and Denver & Rio
GTande railroads have large coal mines
in operation in Wyoming and in Carbon
county. Titan, by which at least 80 per
cent of all the coal brought into the To-
cal market has been supplied and that
81 this supply is cut off before private
mines can be opened up and developed.
which will take time, there will be great
Sufferil &.
The private mines now being operated
will not be able to supply one-tenth of
them demand, il is claimed and an il
1ustration is cited in the case Of the We
Der coal field. which has been operated
For more than twenty years. and which
has only been able to furnish a scant sup
ply 10 Park City and small towns in
Summit county during the past winter.
Elder. Weber. Morgan and Salt Lake
counties.
Time and Money NEEDED.
In order TO demonstrate the amount of
time and money needed to develop new
mines. il will be proved that if ten pri-
Vate coal companies were at once TO in
corporate with 100000 available capital
and set 5.000 men at work. they could
not possibly put their mines in condition
10 supply all the demand for coal in this
state by May /. 1898. a mine with the
capacity OF 1000 tons day requires the
driving OF the man slope ana mdn-WaE
from 1900 to 2.o00 feet: also $500 feet
of levels and air courses. and turning
off from the levels at least 100 working
rooms. all of which requires much time.
The two extensive undeveloped coal
fields in the state in Saupete and Iron
counties will require the building of rail-
roads to reach them. one requiring TWEEN =
~ miles of line and the other forty-five
miles In both these fields several com
pahies have secured coal lands and made
temporary openings. but they cannot ne
developed until railroads can be construc-
ted This would make necessary an in
vestment OF S2.o00000 to S3000N00. if II
were TO be undertaken by private com
panies, and it is claimed that the rail-
roads would not be willing to build these
lines If they are to be shut out of the
local market This supply is said to be
great and it has been figured that if
5000 tons of coal are mined each day il
would take 10 years to put the mines
out of commission.
Compromise Proposed.
In view of the length of time it would
take Independent companies to develop
their mines sufficiently TO supply the 10
cal demands. a compromise has been
proposed whereby the railroads shall be
allowed to operate until May I. 1903.
when il is thought that the independent
companies can manage to supply the
state with all the coal il needs