The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-28
LAWRENCE SAYS
PRICE OF COAL
IS AN OUTRAGE
Member of Senate Committee
Declares $3.25 a Ton
Would Be Plenty.
CAN BE PUT ON CARS
AT MINES FOR $1.35
PRESENT REDUCTION OF CSC
FALLS ENTIRELY ON THE
Transfer.

A reduction in the price of coal Of 25
cents was made in Salt Lake yester-
day. The dealer viii lose nothing, for
the delivery service is the sufferer. Re
Gently coal that had been $3.50 was cut
to S.. This included Wyoming, Pea
cock, Diamond and Kemmerer. The
Goals of the Utah Fuel company
Clear Creek and Castle Gate-had been
quoted at Sc since the last advanCe.
The 25-cent reduction Will apply to
dealers generally. and To the teamsters
particularly. The price of coal now is
1913
Senator George w Lawrence, one Of
the senate committee appointed upon
the adjournment of the session, be-
lieves that the people of Salt Lake are
being held uD.' Senator Lawrence said:
Believes IL Hoid-Up.
Coal ought to be delivered to the
people of Salt Lake City for So or 1925
at the most. That figure would give all
of those in the business a profit, the
producer would receive a fair revenue,
the railroads would receive a fair rate
for their haul and there would be a.
margin left for the dealers and the de-
livery service. l think our committee
found last winter that coal could be
mined and placed on board cars for
about S1.35. Allowing the railroad q
cent a mile haulage on every ton, say
from the Helper district, which is ap-
prOximately ninety miles from Salt
Lake, I believe the roads would still
be making money. and plenty Of it, in
that particular branch of the traffic.
Fifty cents for the retail dealer and 80
cents for delivery should give the Salt
Lake consumer his coal at S3.25.
In my opinion it is an outrage that
the people of Salt Lake are held up by
this coal extOrtion. There can be no
excuse for it except that every one
wants a bigger slice Why, it is aston
ishing that, with immense coal depos-
its right at our doors, the price should
be kept where it is"
will your committee do anything
further in the natter"
No Real Shortage of Coal.
Our committee is one appointed to
exist as an official board to gather data
for the guidance of the next iegisla-
ture. 1t was the aim in appointing the
committee to keep standing an official
body which might at any time inquire
into a coal shortage, did one exist. Our
findings would simply be the placing
of the matter before the next legisla-
ture in concise form. We have not the
power of employing corrective meas
ures.
Thus far this winter there has been
no shortage of coal, as I understand it.
1t was essentially our function to in
quire into any shortage of coal, and if
one should exist during the winter we
undoubtedly viii investigate it. But
thus far we have nothing before US
upon which we can act; if there arises
conditions to warrant the calling Of
witnesses we will do So
The other members of the senate
committee, aside from Mr.. Lawrence,
are Senators Love of Salt Lake, Clegg
of TOoele City, and Hulaniski of Og-
den.
Railroads Should Reduce.
Richard P Norris, general manager
of the Citizens Coal company, said:
THE haulers have had to take 25 cents
less the ton. Now, if the railroad would
cut its tariff so cents, and the mine
owners 80 cents, Salt Lake would have
coal at SAB or So"
Simon Bamberger of the Bamberger
Coal company said: I'VE have made
an arrangement with our delivery men
to deliver our coal at a lower rate. The
public will get the benefit of thfs re-
duction. i remember well when the
price for hauling coal was only 80
cents-and that. too. on unpaved
streets. Then they raised the price to
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