Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-14


ter into Los Angeles by freight than
the Wells Fargo Express Company
charges to bring butter the same dis
tance from the San Joaquin Valley by
express.
The express shipments come daily
in refrigerator cars, while refrigerator
car service is given the Imperial VAL
ley only three times a week, and that
by freight, and the express shipments
free of charge in Los Angeles, while
freight consignees have to pay the
extra cost of delivery.
Yet it is said express company rep
resentatves have told Imperial Val
ley dairymen that the express rates
from that valley cannot be put on
par with those from the San Joaquin
Valley, because of the high freight
rates to and from the Imperial Valley
Evidence in Rate Case
This is some of the evidence given
in the Imperial Valley freight rate
case before the state railroad COM
mission in it's initial nearing yesterday
in the supreme court room in the Bull
lard block.
All three members of the commits
sion are here to take evidence in the
case, Chairman Eshleman, H. D. Love-
land and Alexander Gordon. They are
accompanied by H. H. Sanborn, rate
expert of the commission.
The Imperial Valley shippers are
represented in the hearing by F. C.
Farr of Imperial, and Fred P. Greg
son of Los Angeles. The Southern
Pacific is represented by G. E. Squires,
traffic attorney; H. A. Jones, freight
traffic manager, and j. H. Stubbs, gen
eral freight agent of the southern di-
vision.
No Traffic Up to 1900
At the opening of the hearing it was
stipulated by both sides that up to
1900 there was no traffic in and out OF
the valley. In fact, before that prac-
tically no one lived in the valley. The
Southern Pacific branch inlo the val
ley was built in 1903
This stipulation, while of common
knowledge, was necessary to allow the
commission to take judicial notice OF
the fact that the great development OF
tonnage has been within the last dec
ade.
The complaint concerning freight
rates included the Holtville Interur-
ban along with the Southern Pacific
but J. w. Mckinley, representing the
former line, said it made no through
rates, except by combination of 10
Gals, and it would be conceded that
the interurban road is operating at less
than cost
There was no disposition to dispute
this statement, and Chairman Eshle-
man announced that the interurbar
road, therefore, would not be consid
cred in the hearing
J. H. Edgar, an implement and hard
ware merchant of Imperial, was the
first witness and he was called on tC
explain the general conditions of the
valley and the difficulties under which
it's DeODle have labOred
Tells of Valleys Growth
Mr.. Edgar went to Imperial in 1905
and has lived there ever since. There
have sprung up, he said, the towns OF
Brawley Imperial, Ell Centro, Calexi-
CO, Holtville and several smaller pla-
ces.
There are now about 100000 acres
under cultivation in the valley, but its
development has been in spite of poor
Transportation facilities and high
freight rates
Mr.. Edgar said the less -than-car-
load freight rate on agricultural imple-
ments from Los Angeles to the town
of Imperial is 90 cents a hundred
pounds. This moves under third class
rate. Hardware in less than carload
lots is second class and the rate is
$102. In carload lots it moves as class
A and the rate is 50 cents.
Suppose" said Attorney Squires
representing the Southern Pacific
this commission should see fit to low
er these rates 20 per cent. What diff
ference would it make in the price OF
a hammer which you SELF"
"It would make the difference o.
that 20 per cent" said Mr.. Edgar.
The witness said he believed a re-
duction of rates would increase the
consumption of goods, but Mr.. SquireS
tried to show that Imperial Valley
people buy what they need and