The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-22
COAL RATES
MUST DROP
Commercial Clubs Traffic Bu
reau Puts Forth a Strong
Bulletin.
NORTH DAKOTA CITED AS
A COMPREHENSIVE SCALE
Fully Adjudicated as Valid,
and Would Fit Utah's
Case Perfectly.

letins issued from this bureau that inc
railroads directly engaged in the trans
portation of the traffic of Utah have
positively refused all appeals Tor lhe
establishment of reasonable rates LOT
the hauling of coal for the people oi
this state. Ii has also been stated that
the Denver & Rio Grandc kallroau
company actually controls the rates OF
TRANSFORMATION for the coal supply OF
this CITY, as il also does that for rarl'
Gus others Of the principal cities OF the
state. as well as many Of the important
sections of the state generally.
The principal producing coal mines oil
the state arc situated either directly
upon or closely adjacent TO the lines
of that company The supply of coal
within the state accessible thereto Is
virtually both unlimited and inexhsust-
ihlc. The Rio Grandc Railroad com
panv. therefore, essentially possesses
monopoly in the transportation OF that
native commodity, and hence IS made
the especial object of consideration IN
this movement for reasonable rates
thereon. The transportation Of coal,
under the excessive rates charged, con
stitutes the most profitable single lea-
turc Of the great and constantly grow
ing traffic of that railroad within the
state. now. as il has from Its advent
therein as n narrow gauge line in 1883.
The abruptly negative reply of the
vice president of the company under
date Of April II last. 10 the appeal OF
the bureau of February 9, and after
more than two months time taken IN
its consideration, may also properly be
construed as a direct challenge To the
people OF Utah 10 know what they are
going 10 do about II. In March last
an application was also made, by re.
quest, TO the local assistant general
freight agent of the Rio Grande com
panv for a slight reduction on q very
limited quantity Of coal TO be espe'
ciallv used by the fruit growers in
the Mill Creek district in the expert.
mental smudging Of their poisoning
orchards as n protection against threat
ened damage from frost Under date
OF March 80. refusing the request, the
assistant general freight agent with
quite remarkable acuteness and re-
source also favored the bureau with
the details of somewhat refreshing
mathematical demonstration 10 the ef-
feet that the very exactly determined
value OF the concession desired by each
of the ten fruit growers concerned
"Oulp DC DuL S-9sJ, WHICH nc sldIel
would be but an insignificant sum for
each OF them to bear himself! Under
free translation his reply might easily
find language in the old saw, ''God help
the rich, the poor can beg
The exceptionally great and steadily
increasing earnings of the Denver &
Rio Grande railroad from the purely To-
cal traffic of the state have heretofore
been shown, but may again be briefly
tal 1,s- sA, H.. Id
per annum since the Utah lines (tbe Rio
Grande Western railway were ac
quired by the Denver & Rio Grande
company, July !, 1901.
1t may he considered definitely set
tied that no voluntary relief in any
measure can be expected from the Den
Yer & Rio Grsnde Railroad company III
tightening the long continued and un
Just burden upon the people OF grossly
excessive and unreasonable rates for
the transportation Of coal within the
state.
In the appeals already made to the
carriers for rate reductions on coal the
concessions specifically mentioned were
very modest in degree, ana not at all
indicative of the belief as to what the
reductions ought in all equality and
right TO really be. They. were based
more upon On idea Of testing ont what
the attitude of the carriers would be
in extending relief to the people from
unjust and intolerable conditions un-
der friendly method Of procedure.
While no voluntary concessions were
ever seriously expected, no possible
doubt can now linger as TO the unal.
teTably antagonistic position Of the
railroads IN respect to affording any
help whatever.
The bureau now presents for the con-
sideration Of the people of Utah the
following schedule OF maximum rates
for the transportation of coal, in car
loads. within the state, which are be.
lleved to be but just and reasonable of
themselves, fair to our people and prop
erly remunerative to the railroads CON
cerned when handled with modern
equipment and under approved methods
OF transportation
TON OF 2000 POUNDS.
10 miles or less...30 so cents Der Ton
Not Cents Not Cents
Over Over Per TonOvcr Over Per Ton
ON