Arizona republican., 1909-07-23
BICKNELL'S REPLY
 TO CAUSTIC CRITIC
EXPOSES HIS IGNORANCE, CARE. LESSNESS OR DELIBERATE
 MISREPRESENTATION.
Facts Misstated and an lneXcusable confounding of Commodity
 and Class Rates.

After the publication in an after noon paper yesterday, of q direct as- sault upon the efforts of the Arizona Railway commission to secure a re- duction in class rates on Arizona rail- roads. from the pen of the Ntraffic manager of the Maricopa County Commercial club, it was not in the least surprising that Secretary NJ. O, Bicknell of the commission was found last evening in a willing mood for an interview.
 MT Bicknell said that he had been informed weeks ago that it was tine purpose of the said traffic manager to criticize everything the commission does, wherefore he was not surprised that some sort of an effusion had ap- peared. But he was surprised that it exhibited such a desire for criticism that it assailed the rates themselves, which it is understood the traffic manager is equally as desirous of having lowered, as is the railway commission. And in assailing the schedules on a premise that they are designed to raise instead of lower the rates. not one point was made eX- cept in instances where the facts were entirely perverted through ig- norance or malice.
 Assuming the former for charitys sake" said Mr. Bicknell, the error of the traffic manager was in confusing class rates and commodity rates. The commissions plan has nothing what ever to do with commodity rates, nor does it interfere with any efforts now q commodity rates. The adop-' ton of new class rates would be just that much added advantage to the shippers. I do not believe this plan can in any way interfere with the commodity rates and if it does so interfere, it will only be as the result of the confusing of the two by the traffic manager. giving the railroads opportunity for dissimula- ton and delay.
 Respecting the example given by the traffic manager of freight from Phoenix to Casa Grande wherein he alleges that the proposed class rate is B 3-10 cents as against the present rate of 2I1a cents, he does not point out that the 27l5 cent rate is a com modity rate a rate which will not be disturbed in MT. BickneIi's opinion. and which if disturbed will certainly meet with the opposition of the rail- way commission. It should have been compared with the present class rate of 42 cents. This commodity rate to Casa Grande, and similar commodity rates in the same territory, were put in by Mir Bicknell himself, years ago while he was connected with the Southern Pacific. at the special re- quest of the Phoenix merchants, that they might have a fair rate with Tucson competitors. They have been in existence ever since and certainly cannot be disturbed without a fight. And the railroads have little desire to disturb them for they are seldom used by local merchants, being kept there merely in justice and to accommodate the occasional shipper
 Tn respect of the Phoenix and Eastern commodity rates from Phoe- nix, Tempe and Mesa, to Florence Kelvin and Winkelman, they were es- tablished years ago by H. P. Anewalt, then general freight agent of the s. F. P. & P, which then owned that line, and they in like manner have been maintained, and will be if the