The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-17
lEPORTS REVIEW
! COAL SITUATION
copciaI Committee Submits
Result of Its Investigation
Into Fuel Shortage.
nrLGY is RECOMMENDED
.uuoRITY BELIEVES IN EFFl-
cAcY OF MAXIMUM RATE.

RI majority Of the special joint COM
- that has been investigating the
II situati0u and inquiring into rail-
- rates and alleged rebates and dts
-i,,inarion=, is Of the opinion that the
...,,. is too brief FOR the present session
the legislature 10 undertake the en-
E-,r,ant of remedial legislation, and
-.oommend~ that the whole matter be
-,hmitted 10 the. legislature that will
-,eot two years hence. The majority
Il the committee is Joined in this view
Inv Senator Lawrence to a certain ex-
..ot Senator Lawrence was the only
toner Of The minority report.
The report of the majority was read
4, tbe house yesterday. 1t recites the
.ir4umstauces attending the appoint
,,ent Of the special committee, outlines
the basis upon which the investigation
vas conducted. and submits six find
iucs of fact I'm substance. the major
inv SAYS that il examined numerous
witnesses. but that it did not elicit the
information it had thought to receive;
that approximately 100000 tons of coal
are mined within the state: that the
aantity shipped out of the state is or
sat bv that received from other states.
that the cost per ton AT The mines. is
g and the uniform rate-0f transporta-
ton $50 Cor slack ana S175 for lump;
that the operators had done all in their
pOwer TO get their product TO market
ana to place as large a tonnage ds pos
siBe but that the scarcity of labor ma
teFialy handicap ed them: that the
FlIOads did all that lay in their power
20 haul the coal with the equipment
arailable. Dut that the equipment is
not the best and not kept up to the
Standard of effici ancy that the urgency
Of the case requires: that the increase
IN industrial activity, not only in Utah.
but throughout the United States as
we'll is responsible for the shortage of
coal SIS
Commission Not a Remedy.
The report states that all the wit
nesseS, with one exception, were of the
opinion that a railroad commission
could not correct the evil. The fixing
Of a maximum rate of transportation.
it was the conviction of the witnesses.
would encourage the individual opera
tors to engage in the coal business and
thus increase the supply. The majority
is not prepared TO say now we'll found
cd this theory Is. The committee be-
heves, with the governor. that the fed
eral laws will afford relief and that
ealmness and elaboration is essential
in dealing with the subject. 49,
Majority Report.
The majority report follows:
To the President of the Senate, and
the Speaker of the House:
We a majority committee. submit
the following report of the proceedings
Of the special joint committee of the
legislature of the state of Utah. APP
pointed to investigate the subject of
coal shortage. etc. as cur findings in
said investigation.
We began our investigation Of in
quiry on Thursday, Feb. "A. 1907. hav-
ing previously met and organized said
Nint COMMITTEES by the election of Rep
sentative Robinson, chairman, and
representative ToltOn. secretary of said
ommittee. and further by the appoint
ment of Senator Lawrence to conduct
The examination of witnesses
The committee employed as its Off
cal stenographer, Daniel Homer. at d
compensation Of SO per day, and fur
ther authorized him to make four
copies Of the transcript of his notes
Tor the use of the committee.
There We're examined. during the
said investigation, the following named
Witnesses. viz: Richard P Morris
william b. Sprague. Robert March
John r. BrOugh. Isaac Barton. John T.
Dolly II. A. Smith, Conner Thomas, H
8. Williams. Charles o. Harris. Will
nam ). Mccarthy, Charles II. Griffin
Colonel F. A. Wall. H. 5. Joseph and
hufus H 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
70 me various witnesses is suggested
oy the following statement made by
senator Lawrence TO the first witness
Hltefrogated. viz.
Basis of Investigation.
The object and purpose of this in
l@tlgatiOn is To derive information, SC
,at DIS the joint committee of the legis-
azure are concerned. TO report back To
iiie respective bodies such information
= may be cleaned from the witnesses
Oediiiig upon the coal shortage IN the
state or Utah. and determinations in
la'es upon the transportation of Goa
70 various parts of the state. and gen.
si@hy with reference TO the transporta-
--oh problem, in its various phases. as