The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-02
ASK REVISION
Of COAL RATES
Utah Companies Urge Interstate
Commission to Fix More
Equitable Tariffs.
ALLEGE PRODUCTS SHUT
OUT FROM COMPETITION
Also Assert That Railroads Dis
criminate in Matter of Dis
tributiOn of Cars.

In petition filed Wednesday with the
interstate commerce commission by the
Consolidated Fuel company and the Cas-
tie Valley Coal company, a general re-
vision IS asked o. coal rates from the
parts OF Utah. Idaho. Montana. Wyoming,
fornla Charges OF unfair discrmna tory,
unreasonable and unjust rates are made
in the petition. and a mass OF figures is
given in connection with the allegations.
In the petition the complaining companies
ask that the railway companies revise
their rates and establish rates for the
Utah coal in The states named al sta
tions where no rates can be secured at
present. The following railway companies
are named US defendants:
Atchison. Topeka X Santa Fe Railway
company Denver & Rio ;rande Railroad
company. Western Pacific Railroad COM
pany. Union Pacific Railroad company,
Oregon Short Line Railroad company,
Oregon-W Washington Railroad a. Naviga-
ton company. the Southern Pacific Rail-
road company, Butte, Anaconda G Pa
c,hc Railway company. san Pedro, Los
Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad company.
Eureka & Palisade Railway company Ne
yaaa Central Railway company, Nevada
County Narrow Gauge Railroad company.
Nevada Northern RAILROAD company. Ne
yada California Railway company.
Northwestern Parihc Ralirond company,
Virginia < Truckce Railroad company.
Northern Pacific Railway company the
Pacific & Idaho Northern Railway com
ranv. Canas Prairie Railroad company.
Idaho Northern Railway company Pay
ctIc Valley Railroad company, Oregon
Washington Railroad company. Santa
DIEGO Southern Railroad company. Castle
Valley Railroad company. Southern Utah
Railroad company.
Division CT Districts.
In The petition the western coal fields
are divided In DISTRICTS as follows
Rock Springs. Wyo,. district. COM
pl1slns a number OF mines along the lines
"f the Union Pacific railroad and operat-
Ing within = radius OF approximately nifty
miles of said town Of Rock Springs.
The kcmmercr. Wyo.. district. COM
prisi0G number Of mines located along
'he line of the Oregon Short Line rail-
road and operating within radius OF ap-
proNimatcIy iorty miles OF said town of
Ee nlIncre.. Nyo.
The Utah district. comprising terri
tory In Carbon and Emery counties. Utah.
situa ted along and tributary TO the line
Of the Denver e Rio Grande railroad II
covers n territory some twenty-five miles
wide by sixty mtes long. Said mining
district includes the property of the COM
plaiuant companies. and also the mines
opened and operated by the Utah Fuel
company. corporation. owned and con-
trolled by the Denver & Rio Grandc Rail-
road Germany.
The Gallup. y. NJ. district, situated
along the line OF the Atchison Topeka
Santa Fe railroad in and around the
town OF Gallup, X. VI.
Discrimination is Alleged
The complairants say that because OF
the rates as they now exist. the Utah
mines arr hampeIed in development. II
being Impossible TO compete with the
rates OF other districts. principally Wyom-
Denver Rio Gcande railroad discrimi
mates IN the matter N cars and therefore
makes II Impossible for the complaining
companies TO get cars willie other Utah
mines provided with ample cars and
motive power.
II 10 alleged tina; after the Utah com
panies established offices and built up
trade In Idaho. the railroads reduced the
rate 10 Idaho on Wyoming coal and re-
fused to reduce the rate from Utah
points. That has caused :hc Utah COM
companies allege that they
have requested repeatedly n reduction
in the Utah rates. without avail.
The petition asks that board OF exam
the titan mines and in case of car short
age. divide the available cars in "A pro-
rortionate manner. giving cech mine Its
share AZ cars. according to the produc-
ton. The complaining companies allege
that the Utah Fuel company has been
favored III the matter of cars during
periods when shortages exist
Accompanying the petition is Exhibit
A. containing figures setting forth the
alleged Determinations.
Say Competition Impossible.
II is set forth by these figures that the
difference in the rates from the Utah
districts 10 parts Of California and the
other states mentioned is large and for
that reason Utah coal is unable TO COM
pete with the product OF the other dis
tricts. The amounts in excess against
Utah ranges from % cents TO s1.S5 per
ton. according to the figures. II Is con-
tended that in Washington and most
parts OF Idaho and many parts OF the
other states. excepting Utah. the Utah
coal is entircl: shut out because no
rates are quoted and no rate can be OBJ
tained. In most points In Washington
the other districts are given rates while
Utah is not. II is alleged:
The various points all the lines OF
the defendant railway companies are
given, with the comparative coal rates
from the mines OF the various districts.
In about half of the points named the
rate from the Utah mines is shown as
being higher than from the other mines
The complaining companies ask that
the rates be revised within the next two
years and that Utah coal mines be given
an equal chance with the mines OF other
states