Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1917-07-19
THE COAL SITUATION.
II. r.. Cooling Makes a Report to
the Governor as to Conditions
Existing.

committee, has favored us with |
copy of his report as made to the |
governor OF the state, and the fact |
that the situatnon IS so serious and |
that our readers may be advised OF |
what confronts them In the coal sit |
uation we give space to the report |
In full as follows:
Goodine. Idaho. July l3, 1917.
TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE |
PEOPLE Of IDAHO:
l have the honor to report to you
the findings of our recent investi- |
cation of the new conditions that
have been forced upon the coal stu
alton by the breaking of the mann
moth Reservoir and the destruction
of several miles of track on the d.
& X. G., over which all the coal
from the Utah fields must pass
for Idaho.
AS son as the washout occurred
on the Rio Grande, Mr.. Hansen. Sec
retary for the Council of Defense
Lake and assist him in this investi-
tion.
] regret exceedingly to have to re-
port to you that the destructinn of
the Rio Grande tracks has brought
about very serious complication
in the coal situation for Idaho. For
more than two weeks the coal mines
of Utah have been idle. However,
| am glad to advise you that on the
11th of July all the mines in Utah
on the d. & X. G. except those In
the Scoheid district. resumed opera
tions.
The following telegram from Mr.
F. ID. Clarity. Assistant General
Manager Of the d. & r. G., will
give you authentic information in
regard 10 the serions condition that
exist at the present time:
Salt Lake. Utah. July ~. 1917.
F. r. GCODING.
Gooding. Idaho.
All mines except those in
Scofield district commenced
work yesterday and hope to
work them about fifty to six
ty per cent normal capacity,
but do not expect to reach max
imum for at least three or four
weeks.
e(Signed) F. d. CLARITY.
During all this time 1t must be
borne in rnind that the railroads and
consumers everywhere have been
using up the supply of coal. Mr..
Stevenson. a member of our Coun-
ell, advises mo that II now looks as
II the Oregon Short Line would be
! forced into the winter without
I ton of storage coal.
The whole situation is so serious
that l feel it is imperative that this
communication be given as much
publicity as possible. With that in
} view, ! am sending this report TO
the press OF the state and asking
> them to give 1T as much favorable
( notice as possible, so that the peo-
pie may be advised OF the true con-
> ditions.
/ have the following recommended
tions to mako:
: The people of Idaho. wherever II
is possible. should provide wood for
their winter use.
All threshing machines that are
d now using coal should be fitted up
1 with straw burners.
There should be demand on the
r part of the public In every commun-
Y ity for economy IN the use If coal,
and every owner of tnreshing ma
= chine should be requested to install
4 straw burners.
There remains But one hope to re-
{ lieve what threatens to be a serions
r coal famine and that is through the
+: Wyoming coal fields.
: The following telegram from T.
[ j. O'Brier. General Sales Agent of
the Kemmerer Coal Company, in re-
: ply to my inquiry, tells the story of
= the need of men in the wyoming
s coal mines, and the prices paid for
|. labor:
e Salt Lake, Utah, July IL. 1917.
= F. r. GOODING,
n Gooding, Idaho.
}, Your wire date. miners are
: paid sixty-four and sixty-nine
A cents por ton. depending upon
!, Local conditions under which
: they work. Outside laborers
Q three dollars and four cents
per day, leaders, tracklayers,
It timbermen, drivers. four dol
r lars and two cents per day. in
n side labor, not classified, three
d dollars and eighty-eight cents
q per day. We could use two
hundred nifty additional miners