Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-12
Address aI Communications to BiSBEE DAILY REVIEW, BlSBEE, ARIZONA.
AN IMPOSITION.


 Last week the Oasis received a which the freight bill was forty-fiye dollars. in round numbers. Of that amount seventeen dollars covered the charge of transportation from St. Louis to Fl Paso, and twenty-eight dollars were charged from Fl Paso to Nogales. As the distance from St. Louis to Fl Paso is more than five times that from Fl Paso to Nogales, is 1t not very plain that the heavier charge for the shorter distance is plainly an imposition?
 The freight rate complained of by the Oasis is an imposition and an out rage. Nogales Is not. the only city where these outrageous freight rates are being imposed on the people. It is the same at all points in southern Arizona, and all the railroads nre 'Jarred with the same stick" in the matter of burdening the people in the manner related by the Oasis.
 We are not informed as to all rates paid in Cochise county, but if they are all practically the same as the rate on paper the burden is one beyond all reason. The rate on a carload of pa per from the eastern mills to Bisbee is s1.7S per hundred. The rate from the same paper mills to Fl Paso is considerably less than s1 per hundred These enormous rates have been in force since the building of the rail. roads through the territory. For a time, when the railroads were new the burden was borne without much grumbling. but the time has come when the people of this territory should begin the agitation for cheap CT freight rates. The railroads would be the gathers by lowering their rates to reasonable figure. Could the Fl Paso rates be continued through Ari zona on the same basis per mile, the creased development of the resources of the country and the establishing oi new enterprises and in the further in creased prosperity of those already here. The business men of Arizons must compete with Fl Paso and Lo: Angeles, and it is not right that the, should be compelled to pay double the freight rates, and on many article! much more than double, for every ar ticle brought from the factories in tn, east.
 If the railroads do not take up thi, matter and reduce the rates, then tn, business men of the territory should get together and take the matter uI and strive to force the relief to whicl they are entitled.
 Because Arizona is territory VI do rot believe that the railroads art immune from the provisions of the in sterstate' commerce law; if they are we believe Congress would come tt ? ear relief if the condition regardin; xthe exorbitant freight rates collected by the railroads in Arizona was prop ; erly presented,
 The hope expressed uy many rla the coming of other railroads througl s the territory will reduce the freigh rates, we believe to be largely, if no wholly. fallacious Railroads have way of pooling their issues and charg 3 ing all the tariff win stand, especial. where their patrons are helpless. Ii Phoenix. where both the Santa Fe an, the Southern Pacific are doing busi ness, the cry for relief from exorbi tant freight charge@ ss = sgonizini as in Cochise, where only one line doe the business, or in Graham county where the same condition exists.
 The writer once purchased cylir der printing press. and had it shippe to SoIomonville, the county seat 0 Graham county. The freight bill va an even s200, and less than s75 c that amount went to the railroad which hauled it from the factory i New Jersey to Deming, New Mexico
 The railroads of Arizona should nc wait to be forced in the matter of r ducing their freight rates in this te ritory; the people of Arizona have su fered long enough, and they are el titled to relief, and that without fu ther delay. The people are thinkin about this matter, and they may req ize soon that if they are to continu much longer in business or in the d. yelopment of the resources of tn country they will have to join hand in bringing about needed reform the matter of freight rates.