Arizona republican., 1906-10-03
.FAIR DEAL BY
 TRAFFIC MEN
Equitable Freight Rates
 Granted to Phoenix
Central ArizOnaNOw Placed On an Equal Footing With Tucson.

The Republican is able this morning 1 to present to the commercial interests i of Phoenix, and indirectly that means all interests. the best news respecting freight transportation that has been received since the city was first con- nected by railroad with the outside world It is not only good news for this valley, but for Prescott and all points between AIaricopa and Ash Fork. In a word, it is the fact that all points along the two cross country lines between the main lines have been given the same. freight rates that Tucson now enjoys, a boon for which the commer- cial interests thus benefited have pa tiently sought from the beginning.
 When Phoenix was first given rail transportation by the building of the M. & P. line, that railroad was an in dependent company. The freight charge to Maricopa from coast points was the same as to Tucson, and from MaricOpa to Phoenix the shipper had to pay whatever the management of the local road found it desirable 60 charge. The Southern Pacific interests naturally desired no other arrange ment, for in that way the large job ping business of Tucson was given an advantage over this valley. With the building of the S. r. P S, P. there was mo change in that respect. for Maricopa was the rate-making point, and the traffic managers had of course to meet it. The Santa Fe could charge no less 10 Prescott or Phoenix than the S r. and M. & P. charged jointly, to Phoe- nix. If rates went up or down on any commodity they did so in harmony on both lines. In that respect they will continue to do so. the eliminated diff ference being the favored rate enjoyed by Tucson. Efforts to bring this new order of things about have been made spasmOdically for years past but a few months ago there was a carefully prepared planned program undertaken that yesterday ended in a notification to the local railroad officials that the new rates had been made and would go into effect as soon as the interstate commerce commission mad received it's legal thirty days notice and the ratez were published in accordance with law. The information was made public last night by F. A. Jones. general freight and passenger agent of the S. F. P. G F.. who spent yesterday very largely in conference with Superinten- dent BicllneH of the local road. MI. l Jones has given the subject consider able study ever since he has been con-
 
 naturally of some special interest 10 the local Santa Fe line. The new rate will enable Phoenix to compete with Tucson. and while the rates give the
 Santa Fe no special privileges it win have an equal show with it's competitor for the handling of a larger business
 into Phoenix and Prescott a business l that promises under the present pre- vailing conditions to expand with mar
 velOus rapidity Central Arizona is now believed by those most competent
 to judge to be on the verge of a mar velOus development and that develop
 ment will be accelerated by better
 freight rates, and this section will not l be handicapped by a competing point some distance away. The railroad com
 panies will both lose materially for the
 present, in gross returns but it is the
 belief of the railroads that the in- ] creased business will in a short time
 more than compensate them. and the
 country will at the same time be bene- fted
 As an indication of what this means l to central Arizona, it may be stated
 that it will aggregate on car shipments
 of most of the important commodities
 a reduction of from $36O ton upward
 S3.60 being the minimum of reduction on such things, for instance, as sugar salt, wine, potatoes, beans, pickles. dried fruit, soap, canned goods, etc.
 MT. Jones was asked last evening to
 outline the story of this latest and sue cessfuI effort at securing the desired
 freight rates He said it began months
 ago in a meeting of the merchants Of Phoenix, at which a committee was ap- ! pointed consisting of J. H. La Rue
 Louis Melczer and J. W. Doris, to in
 quire into the matter. Subsequently