The daily sentinel., 1913-11-04
NO CHEAP COAL UNTIL STRIKE
|SSETTLED, SAY OPERATORS
Must Restore Cost Of Production and Settle all Ste Mine
Owners Declare Unions Have Forced Unnecessary E1-
pense on Whole State by Strike.
Sentinel special Service.


Denver. Nov. 4.-Until the present
industrial troubles that have par
alyZed business enterprises in Col
orado and caused a shortage of coal
all over the state have ended there
is little prospect that cheaper coal
will be offered according to state
ments made today by representatives
of the three largest companies oper-
ating in Colorado-the G. F. q l., the
Victor and the Rocky Mountain. This
conclusion was made public Saturday,
following a half-day's conference be-
tween the coal officials and a COM
mittee from the Denver Chamber of
Commerce. Before the adjournment
of the conference, the companies
agreed to provide the committee with
statistical compilation of figures
to show that it is impossible for the
companies to sell coal cheaper than
at present under prevailing adverse
mining conditions in every camp of
the state, practically.
Attorney Frank Cove, formerly
state senator. who represents the
three companies above, stated to
your representative in confirmation
of the contention of the companies
that 1t is impossible to sell coal
cheaper than prevailing prices under
present strike conditions, stated that
the public naturally was unaware of
the adverse conditions, with which
the companies had to contend to even
get small supply of coal from their
mines. He said there are fixed
charges that cannot be overcome even
though the output of coal be small;
that the cost of maintaining the
guard was a small matter in compar-
ison with other necessary and una
voidable expenses in maintaining and
keeping the different properties in
workable shape. Thousands of dol
lars daily Attorney Cove said are
being paid out by the companies oper-
ating without penny's remunera-
ton. So that these conditions brought
about the strike cannot be avoided
SO long as the trouble prevails and
the cost of coal is bound to remain
nigh until peace is restored in every
mine district of the state, and the
cost of production has again been
restored to the minimum.
In two mines in the Trinidad dis
trict, one of which is the Chandler,
Mr.. Cove said that only two miners
were at work, while a guard of 1SI
armed men was necessary in order to
DTottCl lUtlI llNto iiloN "
get out even very small quantity of
coal. Such conditions as these, said
Mr.. Cove, prevail in many of the COM
panies' property, while some of the
mines were lying idle. But the main
tenance expense goes on just the
same as If the regular output was be-
ing mined.
so long as the people of this state
thic Gtrilyn which NOT
warranted In the first place, Just so
long will the public be forced to pay
high prices for the small output of
COAL" said Mr.. Cove, who added that
the prices being charged do not fully
remunerate the companies for pro-
duction of the coal under such con-
ditions as now prevail. Not a pound
of coal now mined is going outside
the state, said Mr.. Cove, and the hun
dreds of interstate contracts held by
the companies are not being filled
and have not been since the trouble
started. AS a result thousands of
dollars are lost to the operators daily.
You can rest assured that there
will be no more cheap coal until the
strike ends" said Mr.. Cove.
Prosecuting Attorney Rush de-
clares that the prizes being charged |
are exorbitant and unwarranted, and
he proposes, he declares, to take the
matter up with the grand jury and |
have an investigation made of the
whole situation. Now that state
troops have displaced mine guards,
Rush says there is no occasion for
continued high coal prices; that it is
costing the taxpayers of Colorado
$4,000 a day to maintain the militia
A. fs@lI hA CO. M
why prices should be held as high
as at present.
With view to giving the people
Of Denver cheaper coal Immediately,
the commissioners VIII today consfd-