The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-18
PUBLIC HEARING WILL
BEGIN SEPTEMBER Y
Suit Instituted By Attorney
General West for ReduC-
tiOR in Prices

Tho stale corporation commission
ca September q viii hear the case of
Attorney General West against aDor,
forty produc,rg companies for ro-
| duciion of Oklahoma Goa prices TO the
retailer and The consumer, to be
made effective. he hopes, before The
winter months arrive. Hearing of the
ease promises an array OF figures ana
| facts informing the pubic just what
! II costs the mine owner to produce
the fuuel per ton and the amount Of
lproflt he maGes An adjustment OF
the situation from ,he mine to the
household has been ask, 4 by permit
ting the producer 70 reap q legitimate
profit, the transportation company TO
be contented with reasonable charge
and the retailer to sell at no moro
Of an advance than would be just.
The commission has not indicated
what iis authority is in the premises.
but there is pr bsbility II is said,
of holding that the people have a righ.
70 know what it costs to mine coal and
deliver it TO the cars fol transporta-
| tiCn. Whether Ii VIII b. able to go
beyond this IS a problerI TO be deter
mined between now ana the date OF
! hearing. The attorney general will
draw some comparisons IN coal prices
and transportation charges to show
what the mine owner. the railroad aul
the retailer arc making out of Okla
homa fuel. e
II has been pointed cut that coal
selling from $3.50 to $3.50 per ton in
Oklahoma, l20 to $50 miles from the
mines. has been selling in Kansas
City. $40 miles from the mines, for 81
and S. per ton: that AtcAlestes coal
/ sells in Little Rock for Sc and $3.50
lper ton, and in Chickasha nearer in
railroad mileage to the point OF pro
duction for Si2a In Wichita the
price is S77j, according to the pet
| ition. Harrington, Kas. 500 EN-
poria 81. while ip Oklahoma City,
Enid, Guthr's Ldwton and III Reno
with a vast advantage in mileage
from TIE mines, or IS and over per
ION.
The transportation cAst which al
ways figures pro rata in the price
TO lhe consumer the slate alleges Is
about sixty per cent OF what 1t was
TWO years ago, the tariff having under
gone series OF reductions since Noy
ember 1907 through he Interstate
Commerce commission and the state
Corporation commission, bearing the
ton hadl pr. g .etrten McAlester
and Oklahoma CITY hom $40 10
Sifl. The 'ltc siti dticB receive :
some attention during the constitu.
ljonal convention and the committee
then in making comparisons with the
rates from The Thurher mines to Tex
as points reported that q similar han
there cost about 81 ccnte per ton II
gave ihe reason iha Texas then had
fhe advantage OF kailIpad commits.
sion. while Oklahoma d.d not
Touching the cost oi production the
attorney general shows during the
ast ten years iae 3 ya'iies TO The
Indian lribeo of what WAS formerly
indian Territory has heen reduced
from l5 cents to cents per ton, la
hor increasing about 30 per cert while
coal ai the minea has been siOld "a
the dealer 81 an advance OF 250 pe'
. cent al during toe sane period.
' II iG unders cod hai the producers
, viii allege that the attorney general
! has not comprehensive knOwledg
: OF the cost OF mining coal hence is not
competent TO figure II against the sale
price The Kansas City situation
hey claim Is the result of competl
ton with Colorado coal, and beside
\ the use OF McAlester fuel there is sd
= restricted and limited that 1t may
3 hardly be re@ardec as In competition
> at all
There Is no ofncial report available
, as to the output OF coal IN Oklanom,
. for the firs months OF 1908, but II
1907. according 10 the United Statei
geological report. The value OF the on
lput wGs S7.4s3,9ii, covering 3.G42, ,65'
Ions. being considerable increas,
over 1906 In Indian Territory, whici
comprises nearly all OF the Oklaho
ma coal distnct, the 1906 output wal
$50 200 tom, valued a. S5,4S2 1856
: while In 1907 according TO the sam'
! report. the ouiput was Increased 7S2
ass IONS or 27,35 per cent, IN quan
r thy. and sia5l,5is, or 30 6 per cen
) IN value.
, "lhe coal mining Industry Of Okla
/ homa says The report in 1907
= reported as being one Of the mos
E prosperous in The mstofy OF the ~
Z gion. for the 'ncrease6 production wa
I accompanied Ey an advance IN the a,
, eraee price per ton from Sl.g2 IN 100
! 10 SzS.Jf in 1901 The .ailing off o
: the productions OF petroleum ia Texa
aud the oonstanl increase IN the pric
OF fuel oil c.eaied better deman
Tor the Oklahoma aud Arkansas Goa
. IN the adjacent states. Il Is predicte