Arizona republican., 1910-07-09
CLUB CELEBRATES
 RATE REDUCTION
Annual Luncheon of the Commercial Club Was Made the Occasion of
 General Felicitation.

The annual meeting of the Com mercial club, held last night at MelcZer hall, took the form of d jubilation over the recent decisions made by the interstate commerce commission which affect freight rates to Phoenix from eastern points. There were about an even hundred members of the club present.
 The first speaker was F. A. Jones, traffic manager for the club. He spoke of the immense importance the decision will have on the upbuilding of Phoenix and gave in detail the history of the fight He explained the nature of the other cases still before the commission and, with the assistance of mass of figures, showed the apparent injustice of class. commodity and express rates to diff ferent points.
 F. R. Brown, a recent arrival in the valley, was then called upon. Brown came to Phoenix a few months ago to establish here an all falfa mill. He found the freight rates so high that whatever profit there might be in the business would be eliminated. Several weeks ago he went to San Francisco to confer with the traffic managers of the roads and ask for lower rates. He announced last night that rates had been granted that would make the manufacture of alfalfa meal pos Fsible
 We intended to start this mill within thirty days after coming here, % said Mir. Brown, "and then we thought best to inquire about freight rates. The rates were discouraging. but now we have been granted rates that are nearly satisfactory and we have already sent in our orders for lum- Der and machinery. Large conces- sions were granted by both the Santa F'e and the Southern Pacific. It was at first proposed to class the alfalfa meal as grain and that would have meant no mill We succeeded in getting it into the hay class-a lower rate. While the Galveston and Cal ifornia rates are still high, we shall go ahead for the present and ex- pect to be grinding alfalfa within sixty days"
 Many questions were asked Mir Brown about the meal, the manu- facture of which is a new industry in Arizona. He stated that it was packed in 100-pOund sacks like flour, that the meal is mixed with barley and also with syrup, which he will get from the sugar factory. and that 1t is one of the best stock feeds known and has a ready market in the south and east "I expect to create a local market for this product" he said; but at the start, while the qualities of the meal are unknown to the local stockmen. shall rely mainly on eastern markets to dispose of it We hope to make money for ourselves and to bring more money into this valley"
 A paper written by C. w. Mckee was read by c. P. Munger. and 4hen Attorney H. H. Howard gave some personal experiences with the rail- roads. He compared the conditions that have prevailed in Phoenix with those of Reno. Spokane and Boise. He spoke of the fight against rail- road domination made in Oklahoma, a fight in which he took part by cir culating the first direct attack against the methods used by the roads.
 The speaking was preceded by a luncheon served by Gass brothers. The big hall was kept comparatively comfortable by the use of numerous electric fans placed about it. Among those who were present were Ezra w. Thayer H. A. Diehl. William F. Jackwith, Charles Donofrio. C. H. Davidson. H. K. Behn, R. P DeMund, w. S. Pickrell. H. w Ryder, A G. Hulett. John Hilgen. Harry Welch. c. P. Munger, w. B. Leecraft, J. B. Long, Charles Grissler. H H How ard. C. H. Akers. F. A. Jones. Charles Korrick. H. Craig. Dr John w. Foss. c. S. Cox, NJ. F. Longacre, F. A. Hough, N. C. Sergeant, A NJ. liar mer. M. E. Curry, Ray Curry, C. w. Peterson, Frank Fensier, Leon H. Tolleson, F. A. Beane, w NJ. Burke. F. S. Mccall. F. G. Miller. John O. Ming. w. C. Davis, H. R. Davis, R. A. Alton, N. w. Edwards, Eugene Stuart, William OIander, A. J. Dobyus. D. A. Donofrio. w J. Me Kee. P. R. Brown. D. B. DriskiR, J. D. c. Cloverdale, John S. Day, Amos Tiffin, Thomas H. Mitchell, Charles Luke, Homer D. Healey, R. H. Phila- baum, Harold P. Carah, A H Bar Der. A G. Pickett, Charles Wright, B. J. Jarrett, P. R. Helm. c. H Pratt, J. w. Woolf, Thomas Schuster, J. H. Lane, E. R. Porter. E. F. Van Kirk, Frank K. Leeper, and the following from Glendale: J. w. Robinson, Harry More, c. L. Gillette. A. w. Bennett