Arizona republican., 1916-04-17
The S. p. and Santa Fe Contract

We that Phoenix and the other towns of this valley will give ample support the Main Line Com mittee in its effort to ascertain whether relief can secured through the United States courts from the effect upon this community of the Southern Pa cific- Fe of eleven years ago. whereby the Phoenix X Eastern railroad passed into the pos session of the Southern Pacific We have always be- Heved that the time the contract forced upon the santa Fe by Mir Hartman it the intention the Southern Pacific carry the contraction of the Phoenix X Eastern to point its main lne so that when a line built by the Santa Fe from some point on the Santa Fe Prescott X Phoenix to point on the Santa line, both roads would use such continuous line, giving iu effect main line to Phoenix The Santa Fe has carried that part of it's contract Why the South Pacific has not done is immateral; the out standing fact is that it has not done
 We do pretend to say that any community affected by failure the Southern Pacific do So would have any standing in court in action to compel the performance of contract between principals. The attack be made upon the itself if illegal all just illegal if all the had been compiled with. if of them had been complied with.
 The assumption is that the contract was void from the beginning; that an understanding between The roads parcel the territory of the south vest that restraint of trade. This commun- ity. that this valley and the territory in- definite distance east and west it. is the sufferer and should seek relief. It is matter in which other of the country is concerned but it is mat in which the government should be concerned, not because this any community has suffered but be- cause a federal law has been violated
 This contract taken up collateral the Union Pacific merger case in which no one ex- cept the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix people played any interest. The evidence relating it was taken in New York but inasmuch as the Santa Fe itself had made complaint and the people in the only community and an isolated community, affected had made none order in reference the transac- tion was included in the findings of the court.
 We in this position; go O the court and ask that the Southern Pacific be compelled to carry it's part of illegal contract If we go into court it must be for the of attacking the tract to have it declared void and to the storaton of the Phoenix & Eastern the Santa Fe in the hope that the original purpose of its builders will be carried and that may thus secure main line
 Or if in the meantime the Southern Pacific should execute the only of the that affects by building a link of thirty-eight miles establishing junction with the Gila Valley Globe X Northern thus forming continuous line which Southern Pacific and Santa Fe traffic could be carried our purpose would be equally served and no one would then be found to declare that he had been injured by The contract whether legal illegal But for this re-
 lief We must apply to the Southern Pacific speaking softly but carrying a big stick"
 But whatever is done be done wholeheart- ediy by the community acting together, and purpose of employing every open to us for re- lief from the isolated situation which we have been left by the contract There must be no halting until we have reached the end. It is unnecessary to point out to the dulest citizen that prize is worth the effort