Arizona republican., 1909-03-25

gagged in it. He could furnish no COM
parison between the number of cattle
now in the valley and the number fed
here thirteen years ago. He referred
the attorneys to John r. Norton. who
rose in the audience, prepared to an
swer questions. Mr.. Norton said that
thirteen years ago there were about
$4,000 cattle in the valley: five years
ago. on account of the drouth. the num-
ber had dwindled to 1900. There were
now about $4,000 on feed. Mr.. Nor
ton attributed the greater number a
dozen years ago to the fact that hav
and grain were much cheaper then,
so cheap that ii could be fed more
profitably than it could be marketed
Mr.. billiard thought he saw an op-
portunity to illustrate the advantages
OF railroad facilities to a community,
and he asked Mr. Norton If the rail-
roads had not relieved the congestion
of hay and grain. which formerly sold
at IS a ton, and the latter at sixty
cents a hundred
Mr. Norton replied that the present
higher prices had resulted mainly from
a reduced production.
'Ah!" said Mr.. billiard. isn't it a
fact that much of the land formerly
devoted to the growth of alfalfa has
been given to other crops?''
Yes" replied Mr.. Norton; "foxtail' -
When the ensuing tumult, in which
Mr.. billiard Joined, had subsidized. the
latter said: "Of course. you do not hold
the railroads responsible for that?"
Yes, we do" replied Mr.. Norton
They made low rates for California
sheep into this territory, and they
brought the foxtail"
Then the rate on California sheep
ought to be raised" said Mr.. billiard.
Yes. sir" assented Mr.. Norton.
Chief Counsel Norton. of the Santa
F'e system, suggested that the present
complaint ought to be amended, so as
10 include the charge against the rail-
roads of having introduced foxtaii
Mr.. billiard, at the end of this ex-
change. went out into the audience and
established a better acquaintance with
Mr.. Norton
Charles p. Munger, of Munger Broth
ers'. manufacturers OF olive oil and
packers OF olives, testified that the
rates on the $. F.. Z. & p. hemmed in
the trade of the firm at Ash Fork. for
at that point II exposed them to Cali
fornia competition, with which they
could not successfully contend on ac-
count of the higher cost of production
by reason of the rate on their packing
materials, such as jars. bottles and
cases. The firm, however, was selling
its goods throughout the central and
southern part of the territory. except
at Yuma, where il met the California
trade again. A jobbing rate, Mr.. Mum
ger thought. would be OF great advan-
tage to the oil manufacturing business.
c. H. Akers. one of the stockholders
of the Arizona Gazette and president
of the Maricopa Commercial club. tes-
titled as to the discrimination In the
rate on roll paper. the freight on a car
load from the eastern mills being 1870
The freight on similar ear to Los
Angeles would be 1925.
Z. W. Spears, head of the Phoenix
Wood and Coal company. said that he
was glad OF this opportunity TO testify
for il gave him a chance to set him
self right with the people. many of
whom thought he was holding them up
for coal when he charged SO a ton.
He said he shipped coal from Gallup,
n. NJ, where lump coal cost SO a ton
The freight TO Phoenix was $4.15
ton. There was a loss Of thirty-five
cents a ton in handling and in theft,
so that the profit on a ton was only
$3.50. and in cases Of customers who
used as much as a ton month, only
$3.50. This, he thought, was not much,
considering the trouble and expense OF
handling the fuel.
Rounding Up the Case.
This was all the testimony on the
part of shippers, and before resting.
Mr. Costigan desired to show that the
S. F, P & p and other roads were
exempt from the payment of taxes, and
that the NJ. & p. had received a sub
sidy Of s2OO,0 The special exam
iner could not see what these facts
would have to do with the rates. The
attorneys for the railroads said that
they had no objection to the admission
of the facts, since they had long since
been matters of record.
I'VE will admit that the subsidy
was paid" said Mr.. Dillard, IF you
will be equally candid and admit that
not a dollar of it was ever paid to
the present owners"
Mr. Costigan asked about the ORR
entail rates. The attorneys for the
Southern Pacific said there were
none; they had all been knocked out
in the Baltic pool case. Mr.. Cost
gan then inquired if the defendant
would submit their annual
reports. They cheerfully assented. He
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