Las Vegas optic., 1912-09-20
COMMISSIONS in
JOINT SESSION
YESTERDAY
ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO COR
PoRATioN GOVERNORS
HOLD MEETING.

Albuquerque, N. NJ, Sept. 30.--A
conference Of far reaching Importance
was held in Albuquerque yesterday
between the corporation commissions
of New Mexico and Arizona. The CON
ference was held in the Commercial
club here and was attended by Chair
man Hugh Fl. Williams and o. r.
Owen Of the New Mexico commission
and w. Paul Geary chairman, E. Al.
Jones apd c. A. Smith, secretary oi
the Arizona commission Mr.. Geary,
chairman of the commission, is one Of
the brightest young attorneys in the
southwest and has made an especial
study Of corporation law and rate
eases Mr.. Jones, the other member
Of the commission is traffic expert
and Mr.. Smith, the secretary, is con-
ceded to be one of the best informed
men in the west on traffic and rates
The conference Mwas held behind
closed doors and the matters discuss
ed were Of confidential nature.
The conference today is for the pur-
pose of discussing Informally corpo-
ration conditions in the two states
and suggesting remedies for any evils
or abuses that may exist at the pres
ent time. The Arizona commission,
as we'll as the New Mexico commits
sion, is at present engaged in the i'm
portant work of endeavoring to put
into effect more equitable freight
rates from various parts of the state.
In Arizona, for instance, the rate per
hundred on potatoes from Flagstaff
and Williams to Douglas and the
southern part of Arizona is $1.09. The
rate on the same commodity from
Portland, ore, Sacramento, Cal, or
Denver, Colo, to Douglas and south
ern Arizona points is rs cents or
lower, thus making 1t impossible for
northern Arizona growers and ship
pers to enter into successful compe.
tition with growers and shippers in
other parts Of the country. Rates on
lumber from northern Arizona to
southern Arizona, It is claimed, are
also out Of proportion when contrasted
\ with existing rates from points In
Colorado, California Oregon and
Washington. =aw IL W. s--.
III New Mexico there have been
rny complaints that Ell Paso is be
Avored by the railroads as a dis
tributing point and that New Mext
co is being Disseminated against.
With view to arriving at some
feasible solution Of the problems
which the corporation commissions
are called upon to solve, the meeting
of the Arizona and New Mexico COM
missions was held today.
The Arizona commission is well or
ganized and is live wire" PROPOSE
ton all the way. A large number of
hearings have been held since organi
zation and in many cases remedies
have been applied. The Arizona com
mission is vested with much power
and has practically free hand in
dealing with corporations The com
mission recently completed an import
ant hearing at Tucson, the Tucson
Gas. Electric Light and Power com
pany being under fire on complaint
of Tucson people that the company
was discriminating against them. F.
p Woy, formerly manager Of the All
buquerque Gas, Electric Light and
Power company, was one Of the prin-
cipal witnesses at the hearing, qualifi.
flying as an expert for the Tucson
company which is owned by the Fed
eral Traction company Of New York.
Mr. Woy has had much experience in
commission hearings, having an ex-
traordinary knowledge Of practical
and technical matters relative to light
and power affairs.