Arizona republican., 1913-06-02
FULLEST INQUIRY
 IS ALSO SOUGHT
Similar Proposal to New Mexico Corporation Com mission as That Made to Arizona Body-One Vast System Wanted \

What is regarded by many prOmin- ent business men as another step in the coast to coast railway that shall have Phoenix as one of it's important stations, was taken Saturday when the Fl PasO Southwestern railway system through it's General Attorneys Hawkins and Franklin of Fl Paso. filed with the Arizona corporation commission an ap- plication for permission to consolidate the entire railway holdings within the state. and also those of the company in New Mexico, into one vast system, un- der the one management and control, having the one general offices, and thus doing away with the many little individual companies that now com pose the system.
 In addition to this, and in further ance of the proposition the company asks that the corporation commission make a physical inspection of the en- tire system, little roads and all, and make any further investigations and inquiries that may seem proper and right in the matter.
 It is likely, therefore. before the re- quest is granted, that the commission. or at least one commissioner and the attorney general will take a trip over the system as known in Arizona and also over the New Mexico holdings of the company. The company asks per mission to make the consolidation in the confidence of the public
 The company further, has indicated that 1t proposes to take, and has taken similar steps in New Mexico, to have the corporation commission of that state make similar investigations of the property in order that permission may be-obtained in New Mexico for a similar action. Many are Of the opin- ion that this action on the part of the Fl Paso and Southwestern. system will. in addition to leading to a physical valuation of the system, be but the forerunner of the extension of the line tO the coast. The fact that Walter Douglas. general manager of the Cop per queen company and high in the railroad secrets of the great Phelps Dodge corporation which owns both the copper interests and the railway. has led the Phoenix delegation recently sent to him, to hope for an early ex- tension of the system to this section, leads many business and profession men to believ that Phoenix will be on the line from Chicago to the coast. That the railroad needs salt water and is seeking a way out is an ad mitted fact. Many believe also that it wants Salt River water as well
 Tn the application the company sets out that the bonded indebtedness and outstanding stocks of the company upon the entire Arizona holdings aver ages s41,000 per mile, and the mileage 45S.33 including the main line. In New Mexico the mileage is 440.44 and the indebtedness figured upon the same basis as that of Arizona. $40,000 per mile. The division of the lines is as follows. From Hermanes to Deming in New Mexico. From Fl Paso to Tue son in both New Mexico and Arizona From Douglas to CourtIand; from Os- born to Bisbee, from Lewis Springs to Fort Huachuca; from Corta to Lowell
 The divisions in New Mexico as fig ured by miles are: The Dawson rail- way from Tucumcari to Dawson. 1920 miles; The Fl Paso Rock Island railway 1915; the Fl Paso Northeast ern railway, 149 miles and the Sacra- mentO Mountain railway in New Mex ico 31.O7 miles. These two taken to- gether make q splendid system of S9S and 34 miles of road yet without any outlet to the coast.
 The history of the system is unique, Originally built to carry but ore to the Fl Paso and Douglas smelters, it be- came necessary for the system to pur- chase the Fl Paso Northeastern con nection with the Rock Island in order to get it's freight into Douglas and con- tiguOus points in anything like shape or celerity, Then the matter of coal came. up and with the discovery of linn itle.s, coal deposits in New Mexico the comOany decided to build to the coal fields in order to haul it's own coal to it's own smelters
 Forced into the railroad business against it's will, the company has con- ststently built up a splendid system by taking the public into it's confidence at the right time. giving absolute service to the public. exhibiting public spirit in every community in which it has gone assisting in building up the com munity. and always playing square deal with the people. There is not 8 town upon the nearly nine hundred miles of the system. where the citi- znes do not swear by the Fl Paso and Southwestern system.
 Phoenix has long wished to be one