Arizona republican., 1914-07-22
Join Forces With Railroads in Attempt to Secure I'm
 portant Exceptions to
 Order of Interstate Com merce Commission
 IS VITAL NEED
Proposed Bureau Would Unite Entire Inter-MOun- tain Region from Phoe- nix to Spokane in Battle for Common Interests

Determined to retain their hold on the inter-mountain traffic and the iobbing business resulting therefrom. the cities of the Pacific coast are preparing to join hands with the transcontinental railroads in the campaign to secure modification of the long and short haul order of the 1 interstate commerce commission Tn the near future. A conference has already been arranged for in Wash l ington on October 1. at which traffic men. representing the railways and coast cities will ask the commission | to allow exceptions affecting nearly all of the important commodities. 1 Tn their battle to keep the traf- 1 fife which they have enjoyed for so long, the coast terminals have all the advantages of a complete organiza- tion, backed by resources that are almost unlimited" said Corporation 1 Commissioner F A. Jones yesterday in discussing the situation For this i reason the formation of a western states freight bureau as proposed at the conference of interior California 1 shippers Monday is of great import ance to Phoenix and all other cities |, in the inter mountain region. If this | city and others similarly situated are i to retain what it has taken them ten years to obtain, and which is theirs | by law, it will be necessary for them to join hands from Phoenix to Spo- kane in a strong orga niZation that will represent their interests in deal | ing with the railroads and with the | interstate commerce commission l The plan proposed at the confer ence of the Interior Counties Freight Bureau, held at San Bernardino Mon 1 day is that an association be formed which shall include the whole inter
 mountain region. from Canada to the
 Mexican line It would include east ern Washington and Oregon and the interior counties of California, as well as Utah. Idaho, Wyoming, Ne
 vada Colorado. Arizona and New
 Mexico. Such an organization would decide on a definite plan of action,
 and be able to make certain demands
 of the railroads with the assurance
 of success.
 | Whether Phoenix ever becomes the 1 important jobbing center it is des-
 tined to be- depends entirely on the securing and maintenance of equit . l able freight rates. Up to the pres ent there has been no Orga nization to
 bind togethe.' the cities of the west ern states in the effort to secure and maintain those rates which are to their common interest. Under the such an organization would be form ed. with headquarters at Salt Lake City. It would be modelled after the association of coast terminals, em- plOying it's own traffic experts, men
 who would be qualified to deal with the rate question and the railroads. Such an association, it was stated
 at the conference, would be looked upon favorahly by the carriers, and
 would be able to command a mea :
 sure of respect and attention which
 one city or a small group of com
 mercial bodies could not hope to re-
 receive.
 Jones FaVors Frisco
 | Commissione.' Jones, who was
 formerly counsel for the Interior
 Counties Freight Bureau, stated yes.
 terday that while Salt Lake City
 would doubtless be the headquarters
 of the new organization geographi- cally, in his opinion much better re-
 suits would be secured if the mair
 office was located at San Francisco
 San Francisco is the logical place.
 he said, because the main offices Oi nearly all the transcontinental rail roads of the country are located
 there. There, too. competition witt
 water traffic is the keenest anC data and information as to rate. could be secured easily"
 Among the arguments for the nev
 organization, presented at the Cali
 fornia shippers conference was
 letter from Commissioner Jones, il which he stated that the railroads
 are already preparing to go befor
 the interstate commerce commission and ask for exceptions in the rate l to inter mountain points on tn z ground of competition with wate traffic Under the law, the comms 7 sion has the power to grant eXcep tions in certain cases to the rate prescribed, and it is known on tn
 very best authority that the coas
 cities are now preparing to join tn railroads in a strenuous campaig
 against the order recently sustaine
 by the supreme court.
 -O