Arizona republican., 1911-03-07
LOWER RATES COMMODITIES The Object of |. [. [. Hear
 ing Yesterday TESTIMONY OF MERCHANTS
They Believe the Reduc- tion Prayed for Would be Beneficial to Consumers and Would Encourage
 Commerce and Production

The hearing of another phase of the
 complaint of the Maricopa Commercial
 club to the Interstate commerce com
 mission was begun in the district court
 room yesterday morning before Exam lner Vassault of the commission. who
 arrived here yesterday morning from Reno
 The matter before the examiner was
 gone over in part at the hearing here two years ago. At that time con-
 plaint was made against all railroad rates, class and commodity. but some months after when the commission is sued its order which became effective January ? Of this year, the prayer of the complainant was granted only as to class rates, the decIsiOn being reserved as to commodity rates
 At the same time it was provided by the commission that the roads affect ed by the order respecting class rates might prepare figures showing to what extent their revenues had been reduced by the order respecting class rates. and It was intimated that on that showing would largely depend the decision as to commodity rates.
 There was a much less formidable array If legal talent from beyond the bouno-sries of Arizona present at this bearing ihan at the previous one In fact1ne va ~ ng'7iss attornev was C. w Durbrow of san Francisco. who at the earlier hearing was one of the fore most of the Southern Pacific counsel. Though he is appearing in the inter- est of the Southern Pacific now, he is
 
 legal department of the Hartman lines but is engaged in private practice in San Francisco. other attorneys were Paul Burks of Prescott. for the Santa Fe. and George w. Cooley and Byron Waters, representing shippers organi- cations in the interior counties of Cali fornia.
 On behalf of the complainant. F. A. Jones, traffic manager of the Maricopa Commercial club, assisted by Attorney H. H. Howard. is presenting the case.
 other attendants, more or less inter ested in the hearing were w A Drake, general manager of the s. F. P & P: Paul P. Hastings, general freight and passenger agent of the same line: H. A. Jones of San Francisco. traffic man. ager for the Southern Pacific, and H A. Brown, in charge of the shipping interests of Rabbit Bros of Flagstaff. Williams and Winslow Still other at tendants merely as interested spec tators were the members of the Ari- zona Railway commission.
 The proceedings lacked the ginger which characterized the former hear ing. Witnesses for the shippers were proprietOrs of stores in Phoenix or Oth- CT valley towns or heads of depart ments of stores who were questioned as to the commodities they handled. the origin of the shipments. and were then asked if reduction of the rates on these commodities would be advant- sgeous to the shippers. In most cases the witnesses were not subjected to cross examination
 The commodities on which a reduc- ton is asked are about 25O and in re- lation to them it is contended on the part of the shippers that the rates are not only excessive but also discrimina- tory This brings into review the rates from eastern points to the coast as we'll as to Phoenix
 The first witness was pr J. w Foss. | president of the board of trade He said he was not familiar with the sub ject of freight rates, and his testimony 1 was confined to the resources of the l valley. the production of commodities | for shipment and the prospect with the l development of the valley of an in- 1 crease of production. The doctor espe- | cially alluded to the orange and cante- | loupe industries.
 Other witnesses were Mir. Gillespie of | the Constable company: C. H. Pratt. of | the Pratt Gilbert company; Leo Gold | man, of Goldman & Co: w. w Ed l wards, of the Wakelin Grocery com | pany: R. Johnston. of the Pacific | Creamery company; Louis Melczer. of { Melczer & Co: MT. Banks. represent ing the Doris Heyman company; J. B. | Long. of the Phoenix Hardward com pany: H. A. Davis, of the State Press Printing company; A. C. Dulmage. of the Arizona Gazette Publishing com pany; H. K. Behn, of the Phoenix company, and several oth- CTS
 It was the belief of the witnesses that a reduction of commodity rates would result in lower prices to con- and in a more rapid develop ment of the valley.
 In relation to the reduction of prices to the consumer. Mir Long of the Hardware company said that the reduction would he material on heavy hardware. while an many lighter articles such as are sold by the piece,