The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-16
COAL SITUATION IS
YELLED IN MYSTERY
Both Sides "Stand Pat" as to
the Declarations Previ-
ously Made.
DEALERS CRY SHORTAGE
Railroad Officials Persist in
Statement That Alarm Is
Uncalled For.

vcrsy between the coal producers and re
tsilers on the one hand. and the Denve
& Rio Grande Railway company on TN
other. is concerned. the only cours
which seems left open for ihe senera
public 10 follow with any degree of safe
ty AT this time can be summed UP II
the words, watch and wa
Local dealers sill stand StubborniN
hy their assertions that the public !:
facing critical coal supply shortage be-
cause the railroad either VIII not or car
not furnish ears and locomotive power
market and the alleged impending cr!sis
Likewise. the railro0d and It's subsidiary
corporation. the Utah Fuel company. re-
main firm In denying that such conoi
tiun exists. Both or The latter further
declare that the agitation has been wholly
unwarranted and even 60 so Tar as TO give
demurrage on loaded cars which now
stand on the railroad tracks without a
market
About the only thing both Sides TO the
controversy Will agree on is that there
is no truth in the report that the reslS-
nation OF Horace w. Clarke, third Vice
president and general manager OF the
Denver Rio Grande, was because the
controlling interests OF the road would
not allow him TO improve and add 10 the
railroads motive and freighting facilities.
What seems most needed at the present
time Is wise, neutral person, fully ac-
announce just what the ACTUAL status Is
That person has not been found.
View Of Dealers.
Representing the local retailers. J. s.
Critchlow, manager OF the Western Fuel
company declared yesterday that there
coal shortage His interview, in part.
follows;
This company is now moving abou,
seventy-fvc ions OF coal n day for local
lil,, lNa.En t,If
5000 tons In storage. In proportion 10 The
demand of the market, We ought 10 re-
ceive four cars OF coal day from the
mines. This we are not getting some
no cars at all. II big storm should
break or severe cold spell come. the
demand would be sudden and would re-
auirc us TO move 200 tons n day, II this
occurred under the existing circum
stances we would have To draw on our
storage. which would only last from hf-
teen 10 twenty days. / can show orders
which were given early I'm August. and
which were filled by the mines. but which
have not yet arrived and are still some
where on the sidetracks between Salt
Lake and the operating region of Carbon
county.
The retailer is dependent upon the
producer. II the producer Is unable 10
get coal 10 us because Of car shortage
or lack OF motive power on tho railroad.
81 Is easy 10 gee where the retailer is
al. Al present / am certain there Is a
car shortage. also a motive power short
age on the Denver & Rio Grande. which |
has really been In bad shape In this |
respect for the last four or five years.
We have bills of lading in this office. |
which were filled by the mines a month |
ago. but the cars havo not yet arrived. |
II there Is 40 car shortage or lack OF mo- |
tive power or congestion or something |
wrong. why is II that II takes |
from twenty TO thirty days TO make |
run 10 which time limit Of from three |
I>.. t. .-t, kaxs lrn[ &
fic is Important. and will last during the
next sixty days. The railroad may say |
that such traffic Will mostly 60 over
branch lines. but the cars and engines
VIII be In demnnd just the same.
Mines Are Restricted
William II. Sweet. of the Consolidated
Fuel company, said yesterday that the
coal mines had been closed
from five to ten days during the last
three months. and that operations had
ceased seven out Of fifteen days. this
month. Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Lewis
al the companys mines
st Hiawatha. ieephoned the local Of
ice that full day operations had not been
iue 10 lack Of 'emp,ies'' and motive
power on the railroad and asked II some
hing couldn't be done.
According to Mr. Sweet. the company's
,ut owing 10 car shortage and lack Of
Engines on the railroad s part 1900 tons
, day was the highest figure averaged
since July. Mr.. Sweet said in part:
IF the records OF the railroad show
hat the increase In the legitimate de-
nand for cars has only been from fifteen
n twenty cars day. II is because the
Dad has not furnished enough cars TO
The independent firms. consisting prin-
'ipally Of the Consolidated Fuel. the
astle Valley and the Independent Coal
{ roko companies, which have Only ex-
-od i,,f he Inc f,x-A
'lonc added capacity of about l20 tons
day 10 the former capacity or mines
rhe reason tho railroads records show
he increase OF fifteen or twenty cars
lay Is because the railroad hasn't fur
,ished the cars TO make II 100 or more
This company has even received letters
rom Idaho. asking why carloads or
lered month or more ago have not yet
hown up.
Lack of 'Empties.
MoronI Heiner. Of the Castle Valley
foal company. declared that there was II
ertain to be serious coal shortage be-
suse the railroad vas unable To move :
he loaded cars or provide "empties." ,
Ie said yesterday that the coal mining |
ompanies were about fifty carloads be- I
lind, win some firms suffering more
han others. He further asserted that {
he coal company for the first time hed
akcn up direct with President f. T.
cnery OF the Denver & Rio Grande at
Scw York the matter Of getting better {
power ana moro cars. This,
Ie said had been two weeks ago and
isd resulted In the sending OF Vice Pres {
dent G. II. Schlacks and Assistant Cen
raj Manager ". S. Martin here to in
estigate. The outcom" I've said was
hst both officials promised nothing
aging they would do tho best thcy could
o meet the situation.
Officials Of the Utah Fuel COMPANY
Who do not desire their names used dis |
ountenance the fears and assertions OF {
he other producers and tho retailers, de- q
laring that business Is comfortable with
10 reason whatever for the alarm about
coal shortage. However these officials l
Omit that there has been n slight car
hort3ge. due tn tho heavy transcontinen-
Al traffic peculiar to the season, during
he past ten days or two weeks They
aid that the early fall had always been {
nd would always be a strenuous freight |
ng season With the Denver Il Rio Crandc | {
nj Western Pacific roads and that &
Ehile congestion was always felt and $
being felt now, IL wss of a decidedly =
eu1porary character. white they agreed {
hat there would be no surplus Of coal !
his season. these officials declared thar :
nc supply better than usual and :
roper facilities for handling the coal at 6
and. Z
Deny Big Shortage. lT