Arizona republican., 1909-02-17
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, FEB. r, 1909.
WHERE THE REPUBLICAN
 STANDS.


 constrained again to state its posi- tion, which we hope has already been made clear to fair minded and fairly intelligent readers.
 As to railroads The Republican is under obligations to none, and is in fluenced by none. It has and does now regard the railroads of this ter ritory, as of every undeveloped or partially developed region, as the chief contributors to the increase of its wealth The greater the devel- opment of the railroad systems, the greater the development of the re- zion served by them. Encouragement fosters development of any enterprise and should be extended within all proper limits. These are propositions which we think all will accept
 Arrangements of railroads are hu- man, and it is natural that they have not made all the concessions which other humans have desired. and not all the concessions they ought to have made.
 Though shippers and merchants of Phoenix recognize that the rates they now enjoy are favorable in compari- son with those of twenty years ago, or even five years ago, they know and we know that they are still too high. The Republican has frequently made this statement and the fur ther statement of a still worse con- dition-that this valley is the victim of railroad discrimination. But we are not without means of relief if we apply them. There are two and only two. One lies with the inter state commerce commission and the other, in representations made in the proper spirit and by the proper per sons to the railroads themselves.
 Phoenix and the Salt River valley are not alone in their misfortune. There are hundreds of communities similarly situated; in fact, at least half the shipping points in the whole country are not satisfied with their railroad conditions.
 The best plan has been found to be, after having made application in vain to the railroads for relief, to go with a clearly presented complaint to ha int tot if it is interstate commerce or intra- territorial commerce that is affected. These complaints may be lodged by individual shippers or by recognized associations of shippers or boards of trade. In recent years none of these complaints have been neglected. To- cal Phoenix shippers know that. The relief has not always been as prompt as has been expected, as in the case of Spokane. whose grievance, similar to our own, is still under considera- tion
 Even the powers of the interstate commerce commission have been found by the experience of the last two years to be so limited that addi- tional legislation is now pending in congress.
 This brings us to the subject of territorial legislation affecting the roads, which we have generally op- posed, for the reason that, as any well informed lawyer would affirm, it has been worthless, and as most thinking people have realized, is worse than worthless. It could have had the effect, not of reducing a sin gle freight rate or a single passen- ger faree if the roads would have re- sisted it, but it would have had the effect of frightening investors whose confidence the roads must enjoy It would have destroyed the spirit of concession which as we have pointed out Is our only relief, in the ab- sence or failure of action by the interstate commerce commission.
 There is now railroad legislation pending, which we understand may be succeeded by other of a character which, under the terms of a proposed compromise will be less objectionable to the railroads, in that it will be less disturbing to investors. We also understand that the proposed legis- latiOn will consist in part of a com mission bill somewhat different from either of those now pending.
 However satisfactory such a bill will be to the railroads, it will be creditable neither to the good judg- ment or honesty of the legislature nor to the territory, and it will add to the burden of taxpayers by just