The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1917-12-14
LOCAL MAN TALKS
PLAINLY As To
COAL
PRICES AND SERVICE COMPARED
WITH OTHER CITIES.


Various misleading reports ~.
EardlnE the coal situation at Price
having got Ia the outside press. We
consider II our duty Ia the public and
10 the public utilities commission OF
the state To put tho true state Of mat
terH In another liEht--straiEht for just
one time" said Robert Mckune OF
the McKune Forwarding company a.
Tho Sun yesterday To start with
the howl about the shortage of cars
Co handle thu situation IN largely
warm ononc. pumped into the willing
ears Of the unHuApccting public by the
railroads. Who have gone tonnage
crazy Ia the loading of their motive
power. aud each succeeding ruperin.
tcndont has tried "a Guido his prodc-
Ccnaor by overlooking still further the
nvorworkod engines ON the roads out
from the Carbon county mines. aud
placing "a heavier duty on the coal
cars many of which were never built
TO stand the extraordinary strain on
their draftgcar imposed by numerous
trips over the mountain grades from
the camps 90 tho main line and then
over soldier summit
AS a result the engines have be-
come strained In every Joint. the force
nf machinistr. hoiiermakcra and hell
pcrs have found Il impossible 60 keep
the engines In repair. and many of
thom are out OF commission al the
time because OF the heavy strain on
motive power. and delays la transit
are caused by the inability of engines
Co handle their loads. and Hctouts are
common. both by imposition OF too
heavy a train and by broakage OF the
draftgcar along west. beginning az the
mines where they ate loaded, and this
condition obtains for days aud weeks
at time. while consignoes howl that
their cars are ON the road an un-
reasonable time.
III In true that there h shortage
of cars. II IN Just as true that the
sidings won't hold enough cars Co re-
Hove the situation. and N two thous-
and more ears were put into commits
sion out of the Carbon county fields.
they would under the present re-
gime. be absorbed on the sidings. AL
ready overcrowded. because ~ the
greed for tonnage and the lndiffer-
ence OF the railroads 10 the plea OF the
public Co move the cars aud keep them
moving. Cars that are ON the road
between the mines and Salt Lake City
fifteen days should be delivered there
In twenty-four hours. They should
he unlOaded In day aud back e. the
mines In another day and loaded.
Three days h. enough for the round
"trip. and az that each ear would in
Grease its efficiency by at least three
"a five times the duty Il IL performing
at present This matter needs atten-
ton from the public utilities commits
sion, and Il viii get II without a
doubt
People OF Price are grooming at
the price charged for coal delivered In
the bins. We charge &t,75 today
ton for the best Castle Gate lump coal.
delivered. II costs Ms $3.50 at the
mine, though the camps furnish Il de-
liyered IN bins 90 their employees at
$3.50 per ton We are told. And Il IL
susceptible OF proof. IL costs us forty
cents ton freight and fifteen cents
for unloading. Thus the coal deliy-
cred into our bins costs 1886 a ton.
and this does not take into considera-
ton any waste or leakage OF cars or
loss OF weight In transit that cannot
Ice avoided, and slack that Is impos-
sible 90 save. Thus We get ninety
cents ton for delivery, loss Of weight
and maintenance OF teams, drays and
men TO handle the coal.
Uncle Sam has regula ed the price
in Salt Lake city. The dealers there
pay $3.50 at the mine, Sl.75 freight
and probably Tess than fifteen cents
ton for unloading. making the APP
proximate 'ost In their bins $500 per
ton. And they sell II AT S7.75 In large
quantities SO they get a minimum OF