Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-11-20
NsvaarS syn..r Goal Supply

laid the blame ut the door of the South
ern Pacific Company. The traffic
interstate and not strictly within tn
juris LECTION OF the State Commission
That is, the Commission has no powe
to make authoritative orders respectin
such traffic.
Nevertheless the Commission took tn
matter up with the railroad official.
with the result that assurance has bee
given that the railroad will do all in il
power to assist in relieving the situatio
Mt Winnemucca and to prevent Goa
famines at any Nevada point. Blu
while giving orders for the promp
movement of all coal ordered, Genera
Manager Bancroft addressed a lette
stating the situation fully, from tn
~rail.aa!'s viewpoint. ana aTgin:
proinptness on the part of all dealers /,
ordering their supplies of coal. As Mr.
Bancroft's letter is of general interes
it is herewith given i'll full:
SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY
LINES EAST IF SPARKS
w, II. BANCROFT,
General Manager.
Salt Lake City. Utah.
November 3rd. 1905.
SCARCITY OF Coal Al WISNEMUCCA.
NEVADA
RAILROAD COMMISSION OF NEVADA,
Carson City. Nevali.
Dear Sirs:
Referring 10 the variou> kilograms
that have passed between rs. beginning
with yours of the Goth ultimo, with
reference to the coal situation at
Winuemucca:
| desire 10 advise you Honorable
Body that rhc railroads under my
management do not OWN. are not inter
ested in. and are not engaged in pro.
ducing coal; on the contrary they have
to purchase coal for their own use in
the operation of these roads. You are
aware, doubtless, of the provision of
what is called the Comma dity Cause of
the Interstate Commerce law, rs
amended, which would prevent those
companies from transporting coal inter,
state if they were engaged i'll producing
it, for any other than their own use.
This is Indicative of the policy of Con
greSs. These roads. however, are mere.
ly common carriers of freight and passcn,
gers, and our Legal Department advises
that it would ne beyond their lawful
powers and improper to engage i'll tn,
transportation and sale of coal or other
commodities to communities along theiI
lines or tributary thereto. We have IN
great emergencies, Notwithstanding this
sale, occasionally diverted Il car Of our
own coal to relieve from suffering: but
am impressed that this disposition t.
relieve III such instances has worked t.
the disadvantage of communities and
to the detrimcnt of the railroad com
panies, as ut these places they seem to
be impressed with the idea that it j,
the duty of the railroads to supply their
needs in this respect. and l an
thoroughly impressed from my &c
win Nll' lOlt tilDIlp
the various lines under my direction
that there is a lack of business method,
by local coal dealers and the pcOpl,
themselves in failing to place thcil
orders timely for an adequate supply t.
meet the demands of their local com
munitics. l desire to impress upon you
and through you 1 hope to impress
upon these communities the necessity O
their exercising a reasonable foresight
in placing their orders for All adcquat,
supply.
On account of the coal strike il
Wyoming continuing through tin
month of August last and into tn
month Of September those mines hav
been unable to supply promptly sine,
they reopencd all the coal required il
the various localities supplied from
those sources.
Recently there has been some incrcas
81 output from II small mine at Coal
vile. Utah-IJ miles east Of Ogden
Their facilities nj that mine. however
are not hrst.class, and they have no
the equipment for loading into box cars
rs am advised. The coal from tina
mine, however, is Of good quality. AN,
the mine is able to supply promptly
considerable supply of coal, for thi
reason | wired you that coal could b
obtained mt this mine.
YOu gentlemen will realize how III
popular it would be, ever though
railroad company had the legal author
ity, to engage in supplying coal in coml
petition with dealers in the yurioi
localities; but 1t is II matter beyond tn
power of these roads. legally. to cngag,
in that business, and they have no dis
position to do so, but on the contrary /
will afford me great pleasure to cxcr
every effort To eXpcdiate shipment
ordered by the various dealers O
private parties in those communities
and ] urge ulDn you the importance o
having this impressed upon the people
az we cannot guarantee to relieve then
In consequence Of thcir communities
and their hardness i'm placing orders
aa-I T.. --.ga 60