Arizona republican., 1909-07-22

To the ATlZOTld RAILWAY 1OlAilAiAs'snA'AAf and especially M. O. iBcknell its rate making genius, should be credited the initiation of a movement that is of first importance to shippers in this terri tory, and, secondly, that is new and novel in the history of rate making. It is designed to establish wherever inc nlans of the commission2a are fol- lowed, a more equitable basis for com bling rates than has hitherto been employed by railroad commissions, railroad rate makers, or anybody else The detail work has been under the direction of MT. Bicknell, who has been busy upon it for many weeks. The commission stands sponsor for it. and petitions embracing the plan, with ac- companying schedules for illustration and comparison, have been printed and forwarded to every railroad company in Arizona. with a request for the adoption of the plan.
 It Is believed by the commission that once practically tried out and adopted in Arizona, the use of the same plan win be found desirable by railroads generally as more equitable between shippers and railroads, and creating a more fair and reasonable relationship between commodities.
 The Republican presents with this story the schedules referred to and the substance of the petition, that inter ested readers may make care1ul study of them and note the changes that the adoption of such plan' whlch is called the "Class Graduation and Ton Mile Basis" will make in the freight rates of the territory.
 The petition sets forth very terseiy the argument for the adoption of the proposed rate making basis. and the schedules offered for comparison are most interesting. But for those who ara too busv to figure out for them selves what the changes mean MT RicllnelI was asked to state in gen eraI WAY what the reductions would
  an,ount to if the plan be adopted. He said. for example that the average de- creases in freight charges on the fol- lowing lines would be as follows:
 Arizona Southern. 27 per cent.
 Arizona & California, 195 per cent
 santa Fe main line, 24 per cent
 Fl Paso & Southwestern, 35.6 per cent.
 Gila Valley, Globe & Northern. Al per cent.
 Naricopa & Phoenix, 321 per cent
 Prescott Ss Eastern, 22.5 per cent
 Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix. 3l
 per cent
 Southern Pacific, 42.7 per cent.
 Tinted Verde & Pacific, 14.2 per cent 1
 The other railroads of the territory are in like proportion, the above prin- cipaI lines being mentioned specifically in this illustration.
 In addition to these territorial rates asked for, the commission requests the Southern Pacific. The Fl Paso X Southwestern and the Santa Fe main line to adopt a schedule of rates which 1 is the same as shown in this table under Basis No. t2 and Basis No. E. from which to publish rates from Los Angeles and Fl Paso to all points III the territory. observing maximum or S1.6O per hundred, first class. AS no rates from the east to Santa Fe points in Arizona are based over Fl Paso rates. the Santa Fe is not asked to join in that portion of the request but is asked to respect it concerning rates from Los Angeles to Arizona points.
 The commission says it has been conceded by traffic men that Arizona | rates are too high, but this is the first time an effort has been made to se- cure a uniform basis for revision by | any commission or railroad and at | present no line in the country has a class graduation table, which is 1 strictly a conception of Mir. Bicknell's. |
 Following is the petition and sched- .ules as forwarded to the railroad com panies: