The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1917-10-12
DENVER AND mo GRANDE
MAN GIVES ROADS SIDI.


on rdicct examination Fred j. wild
offered a profile map showing the
natural curvature, grades and rise
and fall Of the Denver and RIO Grande
on all OF the branch lines to points on
the main line from Carbon county
mines TO ogden. lie showed by other
exhibits that the coal tonnage from
the Carbon county mines from 1901
TO 1915 had Increased from l,2s2,i1Q
tons 20 s.62i,e35 tons, declaring that
the rates must have been considered
reasonable or the tonnage would not
have increased During the first eight
months Of 1917. compared with the
same period OF 1919. wild showed
that the tonnage had increased from
i.426. 900 tons Co 1865. 900 tons. de-
spite the fact that during July and
August the road suffered washOuts
between Helper and Cotton.
From 1915 10 1918. according Co
wiid's exhibits. the tonnage from tho
Carbon county mines delivered by the
Denver and Rio Grande 10 connecting
lines In Utah showed an Increase of
31G.222 tons ot 1871 per cent II was
shown that the freight revenue Of the
Denver and Rio Grando during 1911
had increased about 100000 and
that the burden OF taxes from June
80. 1907. 10 the close Of 1915 had in
creased by $4,000 or b3.s5 per cent
The increase In operation and main
tcnancc expenses has been so great
that the Denver and Rio Grandc h In
no position To comfortably stand q
reduction In freight rates. According
Co one OF the exhibits there has been
general increase In the cos, OF ma
tcrials and aupplics ranging from
2a.7 per cent on steel rails TO fe7 per
cent on steel boilers. The cost Of en-
gines has Increased from $4,000 To
$3.50 for the same class.
For the first ciRht months OF 1919
the operating expenses of the road.
wild testified. have Increased f2,soI,-
900 or sos per cent The exhibits
| indicated that the net revenue for the
first eight months OF 1917 reflected a
decrease Of tGss.OiAs7 or ii.6 per
Itont. ON tho cross examination Of
Wild. Prickett brought out the fact
that the net earnings ut the DcnNor
and RIO Grande Tor the first eight
months 81 the present year amounted
to tb.fGI.ais.t5 or more than 100000
month ON this basis II was shown
that the earnings tyr the year would
reach about tS.tO0.O0o. notwithHtand-
ing the admitted loss ~ ti.i2b.0 600
due To- waahouta aud Increased oprr-
atlnE expenses In June. July and Aug
urt II was shown. also. ON cross ok
animation. that the net operating rev
enuc from 1911 Co 1915. u period Of
five years. averaged t7.i63,626 or an
average increase for the five years OF
about N.i2b,0O0 u year.
say Rates Reasonable,
wild maintained that the present
rates from the Helper district 60
Northwest points and 60 California
points are reasonable and that when
they are proved 60 be unreasonable
the Denver and ilio Grande will bc
glad Co modify them.
J. ~. Mulcahey. assistant freight
lngent of the Southern Pacific, teHtl'
fled concerning the 1915 rate on Utah
coal 10 points In California, declaring
that II had been put into effect TO
meet competition from the Gallup
mines la New Mexico. Tie said that
Utah Goals find ready market In
California under the present rate. and
that the trade h steadily increasing.
According Co the testimony OF u, w.
Baker, ratio agent for the santa We,
Utah coal IL steadily displacing Gallup
coal In California, and under n fifv-
cent diffcrontial u can hold ~ place,
Baker said that dealers had expressed
Co him the belief that " the diffcrcn'
tiaI were Increased Co scVcnty-five
cents the Utah coal would still De M
increasing demand,
The primary OBJECT In reducing the
grade at Soldier summit from Ca
per cent. according 60 the testimony
OF Arthur Ridgcway, assistant chief
engineer OF the Denver and Rio
Grande. was 60 Increase the hauling
capacity OF the line and 20 reduce the
excessive cost of operation. The grade
was reduced at cost of S2,lsb.0oO, u
being necessary To build fifteen mile.
of road The reduced grade resulted
In the elimination OF three hundred
and siNty-sevcn one-engine trains and
nine hundred and fifty-siN helper en-
gines In 1915, Tho tonnage Is stead
iiy increasing. lie uaid that Ia faeill'
tate the handling and classification Of
cars az Soldier summit would entail
a cost of about 100000. ~ the
present time this cannot be accomp-
lished because OF the scarcity or labor
and materials.
ON cross examination Hidgeway
said the operating eNpe ser during
1917 were less than during previous
years because of the scarcity Of labor
aud materials.
Other Evidence Given.
4. Z. Clarity. assistant general man
ager OF the Denver and Rio Grande,
said that Il h impossible to make up
trains for through traffic between
Helper and Pocatcllo. and that the
movement OF empty cars east was per-
mitted because they could not be used
Ia advantage FOR loading coal az the
mines
}. sp. Mansfield. assistant general
freight agent OF the Western Pacific
testified concerning the steadily IN
\ 10 Hu