The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-05-05
SUFFERING PUBLIC
MUST FOOT THE BILLS
Vim Coal BarOnS, Railroad,
and Retail Dealers Turn.
ing The Screws

.------z
special 10 Daily Leader
Washington. MAY 5.-That the rail
Dad companies. mine owners aud re
all coal dealers are responsible for
he high price of coal in Oklahoma
: made clear by the Interstate com
nerce commission in its report on
Determinations and m0nopo
les in coal and oil in Oklahoma "Ou
onclusion' says that the report IS
hat tho prices charged domestic con
nmers Tor this coal are eXorbitant;
hat this Is due partly TO natural and
artly TO artificial causes. that amonf
he latter. failure to furnish cars and
,ilure 10 handle the same promptly
re prominent. For this there will al
aSs be some excuse in conditions
visiting in that region. although there
ever can be any justification for sucl
nditions as prevail during the pres
nj season
The fact that large part of the
nsiness is crowded in two or thre
onths renders the production an6
stribution OF this coal difficult ani
Jpensive The coal itself is of
iaracter which admits Of indehnit,
forage without deterioration am
very effort should be made to induce
storage The railroads do nov
ake low rate during the summer
" this purpose and the operator
barge lower price fer the coal
e mine; but up to the present TIM
u this has produced little effect. Th
onsumer and the retail dealer vii
)t and probably cannot order thei
ipply until u is needed II woul
em that possibly the railroads them
Ives might anticipate their own OF
ars for fuel coal during the slac
bonths 50 that both the capacit
the mines and the cars which woul
,herwise be required for the trans
)rtation of fuel coal might be al
valuable during the season Of creates
)mcsiic demand
eculiar Condition Of Affairs.
On the whole a peculiar c0nditio
{ affairs is revealed in the McAleste
pal district The fact is made clea
lat Of the l09 coal leases in exis
nee forty-seven are now held by dii
rent companies Of which but ihre.
re directly controlled by railroads
is shown that at one time fifty
ghi Of the leases were controlled b
'e railroads namely. as follows
ock Island railroad company 9
ases: Fort Smith and Western NJ
& 7 II. r Co. 6 leases. Missom
'acific r. r. Co. S. Missouri Pacif
ailway co. aud NJ X. & T. r. r. co
)intly leases The Rock Island com
any az the present time works ST
Zines and is the largest operator 70
commercial purposes in the field. Th
tx leases held by the NJ X. g.. T. r
Co, Il is said are operated exclu
lvely for It's own fuel purposes.
The further fact that the MeAles
er Fuel company Is the selling agen
lr a majority Of the producing com
anies is also made clear the fact tina
1e price OF coal since the organize
ION Of this concern has gone up any
here from Si.50 10 Sl75 per tor
he commission admits that the cos
{ mining coal has somewhat increas
Il, but that increase is nothing like
1e Increase in the price of coal itself
ct It was impossible for the men de
liled on the work OF investigation tf
ather evidence tending 10 prove tina
ae McAlester Fuel company was a.
rganlzation that throttled competition
nd operated Ia restraint OF trade"
ost Of Mining Coal.
The cost OF mining coal was estima
ed az from $3.50 to $500 per ton
No dollars per ron being the neare'
gure. The price paid by the rail
1ads for mine run coal is Sl.S7 10 foi
mp S2.20. These contracts Of coursf
ay the operator very little 1T woulf
OF necassarilv follow however SAYS
ne commissioner. that such con
acts we're poor business even though
tken az a price somewhat less thar
Ae average cost OF production, sine
hey supply mines with constant
larbet during time ia the year wher
therwise production would be ex
remely slack and moreover nrovid'
constant supply OF cars, Without
1ese contracts many of these mines
ould be- OBLIGED 90 shut down durin'
he warm months and this would m
rease the average cost of production
yer what IL now isN Il does follow
oweyer that The profit OF these oper
tinns must come almost entirely from
heir sales OF lump coal which IS large
used for domestic and heating pur
'Oses
A most singular feature of the coa
'"lnF business ln the McAlester dis
frict however. Is that that tn
sodrciion 81 this Geld Is declinlpe
whereas In other eelds coal production
increasing
d was suggested at lhn hearing "a
InAln.Ilr lhal Ills was due "a III