Arizona republican., 1907-07-18

of about one-thiry Of the wheat rate
has been a protection to the valley
millers, and incidentally, to valley
wheat producers, the removal of which
would undoubtedly result in the loss
of considerable business to the local
mills, perhaps third. Indirectly. any
loss Of protection to the local mills.
which are the chief purchasers of local
wheat, must affect the prices which
they will be enabled to pay for good
milling wheat and thereby the rancher
must in the end feel the commissions
decision in favor of the Kansas mill
ers. Thus 1t appears that when he
established regime is changed the
shoe generally pinches in some other
spot.
The present rate on Kansas wheat
to Phoenix is Sc cents per hundred and
on flour sL25. The question that is of
next interest is whether the new tar
iff. when 1t is announced, will lower
the rate on flour to within the re-
quired seven cent differential of the
wheat rate, or raise the rate on wheat
to within the seven cent differential
of the rate on flour, from the Kansas
shipping points, or make the relative
rates some figure between the present
rate on both flour and wheat. AS can
be readily seen, in the event of the
lowering OF the rate on flour and 9TH
er products of wheat milled in Kansas,
there would be thrown upon
the market competition det-
rimenal TO local milers and
farmers. 1t would enable the Kan
sas mills to put their product very
much more cheaply in Phoenix, and
contemporaneously result in lowering
the price of valley flour 1t can be
readily seen that the present rate has
been a protection not only to the mills,
but to the wheat raisers.
1t not only costs more to mill wheat
in Phoenix than in Kansas, but It also
costs muh more per acre to raise it.
the actual cost having often been es-
timated at about SO per acre. An
acre here produces an average of 215O
pounds, or about 80 to 35 bushels.
A great deal of wheat has also been
shipped from California and Oregon
and Phoenix mills have been able to
compete with California mills in
wholesaling. which amounts to several
cars a week, to points north and near
by. Somewhere in the neighborhood of
100000 pounds of wheat came into
Phoenix from California and Oregon
last year. and 100000 from Kansas.
The local mill men state that it Is
probable that not much wheat will
have to be shipped from California
this year, as the local production has
been large. roughly estimated at about
15.OOO,0OO pounds. At the present time
S1.75 Is paid for good milling wheat 1t
is interesting to note i'm this connec-
ton with respect to Sonora wheat
that that raised BIZ the Indians Is
perhaps the best for milling purposes.
Il is sown BIZ them i'm pans" cut
with crude tools, and threshed out in
baskets. The Australian wheat is con-
sidered the best for milling, the Club
wheat second best. and Sonora third.
The capacity of the four mills of
the VALLEY. two in Phoenix. one in
Tempe and one in Mesa, Is about 49,
900 pounds daily, or in value near
s1100. The investment represented by
these mills roughly estimated will
reach upwards of three quarters
of million, and the wages paid out
daily several hundreds of dollars.
In the opinion of the commission in
the case of the Howard Mills compa-
ny. whenever a relation has been es-
tablished, business developed and
money expended on the strength of
it. then the carriers cannot in the alb
sence of some sufficient reason. change
that relation, nor would the commits
sion direct am such change. However,
1t Is probable that in view of the COM
missions decision as presently under
stood. the change in rates may affect
to considerable extent>a business de-
veloped and money spent on the
strength OF it, in this valley. since the
mills here have invested much in
equipping their plants-the Phoenix
FIGURING Mills few years ago ex-
pending large sum to put in machin-
cry for grinding hard wheat flour-and
to build up an industry worthy of fos-
tering and protection in rafac q q lone