Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-12-16
The Port lobos Matter.

While the campaign was on Hova!
Smith and Ralph Cameron. candi-
dates for the United States senate.
advocated the acquisition Of 4 strip
of land from Mexico To the north of
the head Of the Gulf of California
and the establishment of an American
port al Port Lobos.
The proposition was ridiculed by
democratic speakers and the demo-
cratic press But now. with the cleo
ton out Of the way, it is hoped this
matter may be resolved into an eco
nomic rather than a political question.
and that ii may be given the serious
consideration its Importance demands.
OF course there are many people
who will say the establishment Of a
seaport at that place is impractical
They Will assert it simply can't be
done. But cant" is word with
which American enterprise has had
very little 10 do in the past.
Nv SifdA btSAhtl dANlll III Alif lNl-
fillment Of this scheme is the secur-
ing OF lower rates for the trauspor-
tation Of goods Everybody who has
studied the economic side Of Arr
zona's development knows that the
greatest bar to that development lies
in the difficulties involved in expen-
sive transportation.
To be sure. the Interstate Commerce
commission has already done much in
this matter. and il is sincerely hoped
ii will be able To do much more. But
with the best obtainable results
through the work of this commission
it will be very many years before the
people of Arizona can hope for rail-
road rates even approximating those
prevailing in the east.
1t is known that the rulings of the
Interstate Commerce commission are
based. rs they must be Of necessity.
on the earning capacity of the roads.
Ii is the theory of the law that the
roads are entitled to a just return
on their investment. So, when we
approach this question by the route
OF comparison between the earnings
once becomes apparent how hopeless
IT is to demand at this time. a rate
similar to that prevailing in the older.
and more populous communities.
Take. for instance, the matter Of
earnings The eastern roads of this
country earn on an average Of s10.10S
a mile each year. But the net earn
iugs of the western roads are $3.50
mile-a little more than a third of
the amount credited to the roads of
the east.
1t is also worth noting that the
fixed charges Of western roads are
sl.79s per mile
The bonded Indebtedness Of western
roads is s36.9s9 per mile. For this
one item. if the roads pay four per
cent. which is perhaps slightly below
the average. the western roads pay
$l.47956 in interest charges on each
mile of track they operate.
Now. this is not meant as de-
Tense of the railroads. Ii is meant
To show conditions as they exist and
the things considered by the Inter
state Commerce commission in fixing
rates. And these figures show how
hard it is going TO be. in any rea-
sonable time, to get railroad freight
rates down to A point that will ma
terially aid the people of Arizona.
II is right here that the value of
the Port Lobos proposition comes in.
The establishment of a port there
would mean an immediate and mark
ed reduction in the cost of transpor-
iation of goods and products To and
from this state. 1t would mean
cheaper fuel. cheaper farm nipple
ments. cheaper food products, and
cheaper goods OF all kinds. II would
go a long way toward solving this
question of TRANSPORTATION.
Unfortunately. when the matter was
advanced by Cameron and Smith, it