The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-08
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
Company Refuses to Lower
Freight Rates on Coal From
Mines in State to Market.
NOW UP TO INTERSTATE
COMMERCE COMMISSION
Commercial Club Traffic Bu-
reau Publishes Correspond
ence Showing Present
Rates and Those Asked For.
SCHUMACHER VS.. BABCOCK

] order that The people may be full
~ informed of the efforts made
by the Commercial Club Traffic
bureau TO secure for Salt Lake. Ogden
md Provo N reduction of charges for
the transportation of coal from the
principal producing points on the Dem
yer a. RIO Grande railroad to the cities
named. the bureau has authorized s. III,
Babcock, fts commissioner of traffic,
10 make public details of fnsfsfent ap-
peais for the relief necessary to make
these cities manufacturing centers.
The first appeal for a readjust ment
and reduction of rates on coal to Salt
Lake, Ogden and Provo was made to
T. NJ. Schumacher, vice president of the
Denver * Rio Grande Railroad com
pany, early last February. The word
az scrimination' was carefully avoided,
but the bureau, through Commissioner
Babcock, referred to the rates on coal
from the mines to Salt Lake, ogden
and Provo, as they now exist, as be-
Ing grossly excessive and -unreaSon-
able for the limited service involved"
Mr.. Schumacher attention was
called TO what Utah has done for the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad. II was
pointed out that in the past eight years
the earnings of the company on pure
ly local traffic had much more than
doubled.
VIII Not Grant Relief.
While there was continued cor
respOndence between Mr.. Babcock and
Mr.. Schumacher on the argument for
reduced coal rates for Salt Lake and
other common points, it was not until
April 81 that Mr.. Schumacher informed
the bureau that the relief asked for
would not be granted. After the re-
ceipt of this letter the bureau began
to cast about to secure relief through
interstate commerce channels
A careful persual of the following
correspondence which passed between
Mr. Schumacher, for the railroad COM
pany, and Mr.. Babcock. for the traffic
bureau, gives very comprehensive
view of the coal rate situation which
is so vital to the future of Salt Lake:
Salt Lake City, Utah. February 9, 1910
Mr.. T. NJ. Schumacher,
Vice President the Denver & Rio
Grande Railroad Company, San
Dear Sir:-On behalf Of the business
interests and people generally OF the
cities of Provo, Salt Lake City and Og-
den, this bureau appeals TO you for
the establishment of reasonable charges
by your company for the transportation
of coal from the principal producing
points on its lines within this state 10
the cities named. The rates as now
existing are considered grossly Excess
sive and unreasonable for the very
limited service involved
The current rates from Sunnyside,
Price. Clear Creek and Castle Gate TO
Provo are. on lump and nut. $50. and
on slack $40 per ton; from the same
points to Salt Lake City and ogden on
lump and nut s1-75, and on slack $50
per ton. The distances to Provo are:
From Sunnyside, ITO; from Price. "a;
from Clear Creek, 70. and from Castle
Gate. 81 miles: to Salt Lake City. from
Sunnyside, 1874; from Price. 121; from
CIeak Greek. III. and from Castle Gate,
III miles; to Ogden, from Sunnyside,
1911; from Price. 1873; from Clear Creek.
154. and from Castle Gate, 14S miles.
Since 1t appears to be the practice of
Continued on Page EIeven.)