Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-24
Our inducements for the South
western.


ing of the FL Paso & Southwestern
into Phoenix as discussed at the City
club, Wednesday evening, it was
brought out in the form of letter
from Mr.. Walter Douglas. that in the
opinion of Mr.. Douglas the induce
ments which this valley has to offer
pany do not amount to much. Mr.
Douglas seemed to attach most i'm
portance To the neglect of the Salt
River valley TO produce the food prod
ucts required by mining camps, the
inference being that if the volume of
these products We're larger the Ell
Paso & Southwestern would be more
disposed to consider extending its
line to Phoenix.
AS general manager for the Phelps
Dodge interests in Arizona, Mr.. Doug
las is a very busy man. and his du-
ties confine him closely to the south
eastern corner of the territory. We
find it difficult, however. TO believe
that any railway official in the west
who is so well posted as Mr.. Douglas,
really considers the railway tonnage
in and out of Phoenix as inconsid-
cradle in Importance. To be sure, it
depends upon ones viewpoint as to
what is a considerable tonnage.
Phoenix now does business with
Fe and the Southern Pacific. And
when the importance of a town as a
shipping center is under considera-
ton, the revenue from incoming
freight as well as outgoing freight
must be kept in mind. 1t is safe to
say that the shippers of this com
munity pay to the two railways men
toned, in charges on incoming freight,
a total approximating $l,s0O,000 a
year. The revenue from outgoing
freight will approximate $4,000 a
year; a total of a round two millions
of dollars paid to the railways in
freight charges.
Much of the revenue from incom-
ing freight, especially, is absorbed by
the main lines. of course. But the
FL Paso & Southwestern, as an in
tegral part of the great Rock Island
system-of which the Phelps Dodge
interests are large owners-would get
its share of this revenue from incOm-
ing freight. And while the revenue
from outgoing freight does not at
present exceed a quarter of a mil |
lion dollars annually, the fact is in
dubitable that the Ell Paso & South
western, if it had line into Phoenix, |
would get a very large share of this |
yearly quarter of a million-for the |
reason that a large proportion of the |
tonnage which originates here goes
TO the mining camps served by the |
Phelps-Dodge system.
Nor is this all that must be con-
sidered in weighing the inducements |
which Phoenix has to offer in ton
mage, incoming and outgoing. The
railways get a large revenue from
the express companies. The express
business to and from Phoenix will
easily approximate $4,000 a month.
or $4,000 a year. The major por-
ton of this tonnage is outgoing bust
ness-dairy products. and so on.
We have made no mention of the
revenues from passenger business
The incoming and outgoing passen-
can be safely and conservatively esti-
mated at one million dollars a year
We have. then, a community on
account of which the railways now
receive a gross revenue approximating
three millions of dollars annually.
Moreover, Phoenix has just begun {
to grow.
Would Mr.. Douglas say that this
is not an attractive showing, from ]
the standpoint of his railway system?
The FL Paso & Southwestern is now
sticking up in the air" at Benson. :
II has been decided to extend the
line to Tucson, it is true-provided
the people of Tucson raise for ter !
minals a bonus of $75,O0O-but when {
the line reaches that city it will be J
very little better off, so far as in
creased tonnage is concerned. AL
between Tucson and Q
Phoenix on the basis of railway and
express tonnage. and passenger bust