Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-26
THE MOVEMENT | FOR CHEAPER RATES
Douglas Board of Trade Official in Favor of Concerted
 Action.

Hon. Charles AKers, president of the commercial club of Phoenix, which organization is making great strides in getting reductions in freight rates and getting rules and regula- tions of the railroads changed and revised for the benefit of shippers and receivers of freight in Maricopa county, called on Secretary Gerhart of the Douglas chamber of commerce and mines last evening relative to the movement which MT. Akers is starting to organize a territorial org anization or federation of commercial Organizations having in view the gen eral adjustment of freight rates and rules and regulations of the railroads in Arizona. At the present time and until Arizona is admitted as a state in the union it is impossible to pass laws regarding railroad rates or to appoint railroad commissioners, there fore if the merchants or shippers and receivers of freight expect to get any general benefits it will be necessary l for them to make some sort of an 1 organized effort.
 Looks Good to Gerhart.
 i Regarding Mir, Akers proposition, Secretary Gerhart this morning said:
 T think well of Mir Akers' scheme. ! It seems to be move in the right l dirction and I believe that the mer- chants of Douglas and Cochise coun- | ty will all be heartily in favor of it. | There is everything in effective org. ! anization and with the right kind of organization I believe the commercial men of the whole territory will be benefited beyond present expecta' tions. On the other hand, the rail roads, or rather the general traffic managers of the railroads, are gen, orally glad to handle matters of re ducaons, advances and general reg ulations with one organization, which is authorized to act, rather than with large number of individuals, eact | of whom has some personal grieV ance. There is absolutely no argu ment in the fact that present freight rates in general in the Territory oi Arizona are too high. In many cases they are so high they stifie competi ton. As a matter of fact the consum CT pays the freight and there is nc reason why the people of Arizona should be compelled to pay unreason ably high prices for the necessities of life.
 Rates Not Progressive.
 Many of the present freight rate: were put in when Arizona was sparse ly settled, and although the popula tion has increased many thousand fold yet the freight rates have re mained the same. So far as an personally concerned and, I. believe the majority of the members of the chamber of commerce agree with me Douglas stands ready to do anything for the general betterment of the ter ritory and will join any legitimatl movement looking toward that end Mir. Akers' suggestion to have a con ference, at some not distant date, ot all the commercial organizations <ot the territory for the purpose Of get ting under way general organization will, I believe, meet with the approy al of the chamber of commerce and mines, and I believe further that the traffic managers of the various rail roads of Arizona will be glad to meet such an organization and adjus1 freight rates for the general benefit ot all concerned.
 State Wide Publicity.
 There is another matter in this same conneetion which MT. Akers and myself talked over, and that is 2 general territorial publicity campaign believe that if all of the chambers of commerce, commercial clubs and bureaus of information of the terri tory will get together and decide or a general campaign for the advertis