Arizona republican., 1910-12-02
COMMISSIONERS FAVOR PHYSICAL VALUATION so SAYS DE PASS AFTER TRIP TO WASHINGTON. Is Looked Upon As Essential to Es- tabIishment of Equitable Rail-
 
 road Rates.

Firmly convinced that the physical valuation of railroads will be adopted as the only just and equitable method of fixing rates, Edward s. DePass, secretary of the Arizona Railway com- mission. returned yesterday morning from Washington, New York, Chicago and other eastern points. The main purpose of his trip was to attend the annual convention of the National As sociation of Railway commissioners, which was held in Washington, No vember 15, 16 and r.
 MT. DePass left Phoenix shortly be- fore fair week. He stopped in Mem phis, Tenn, to visit his mother and other relatives, and then went on to Washington in time for the opening of the convention.
 There were forty-six state and ter ritorial railway commissioners pres ent, as we'll as the seven members of the interstate commerce commission. Mir. DePass was appointed to fill va cancies on two committees. One, the committee on express service and rates, is one of the most important committees of the organization. The other, on which MT. DePass served. was the committee on delays attend ant on enforcing orders made by state railway commissioners. The Arizona commissioner assisted in drawing up the reports of these two committees.
 No committee appointments were made before the close of the conven- ton. This was all left to the presi- dent. and he will make his appoint ments by mail. It was intimated to MT. DePass. however, that he would be appointed on the committee on rates and rate making. and that on railroad taxes and plans for the as- certainment of the physical valuation of railroad property Both are quite important.
 Nothing of special interest to Ari- zona was taken up by the convention. It is the aim of the association to con slider questions that affect the entire nation and to endeavor to bring about a uniform system of dealing with the rate question in the various states.
 The following officers were elected: President, R. H. Burr, chairman Flor ida railway commission; first vice president, Charles F. Staples of Min nesota commission; second vice presi- dent, O. P. Gothlin of Ohio commits sion; secretary, William H. Connolley. chief clerk interstate commerce com mission; assistant secretary, William Fitzpatrick, secretary Illinois commits sion. MT COnnolley and MT Kilpat rick were reelected.
 Much of the time of the convention was spent in discussing the plan of rate making based on physical valua tion of railroads. All the commits sioners were favorable. according to MT. DePass. They regard the ascer- tainment of physical valuations as of prime importance in fixing rates just to both the common carriers and the public. Though he was not informed of the fact, he heard certain things which led him to believe that the interstate commerce commission intends to employ competent engineers to appraise the value of all railroad property in the country.
 The banquet of the Railway Busi- ness association, which was held in the aldorf-Astoria, New York. No vember 22, was attended by Mir. De Pass. It was pronounced the most brilliant affair of the kind ever held in New York. All the most prominent railroad men of the country were present, while many railway cOmmis- sioners and government officials were present as invited guests. The boxes around the hall were filled with the wives and families of those who at tended the banquet itself
 Chairman Knapp of the interstate commerce commission was the prin- cipal speaker. The other speakers were John Claflin. president of H. B. Claflin & Co; Danlei Willard, presi- dent of the Baltimore & Ohio. and T. A. Daly of Philadelphia. Mir. Daly writes Italian dialect verse, and en- tertaiped the banqueters with his own work
 In Chicago Mir DePass interviewed