Arizona republican., 1920-07-29
MOTOR STAGES TAKE
 PLACES IF CAMELS
 IN ARIZONA TRAVEL
Transportation Methods of State Transformed Since
 Advent of Gasoline Cars
 On Desert Thoroughfares

Hard pressed for some method of transportation across the state of Arizona the government authorized the importation of 33 camels for that pur- pose in the year 1858. Those beasts of burden were the original stages of Arizona. The evolution from the bumped quadraped to the modern motor car as a method of commercial transportation in this state required a scarce half century. The stage line industry here has been regulated and perfected until it ranks as one of the best transportation systems of its kind in the United States.
 With Phoenix as center a maze of stage lines branch out and interlock like threads of a spider web. There are nearly 100 motor cars operated over stage lines out of Phoenix every day. Practically every town of com mercial importance in the Salt River valley is reached by stages. These cars are operated on schedule and un- der the direct supervision of the state corporation commission. The corpora tion commission is empowered to fix the rates. fares, charges, classified tions, rules and regulations of each transportation company and to reg ulate the service and safety of opera tion.
 Stage Service Reliable
 Before the corporation commission was given this power stages were op- erated in a haphazard manner which greatly inconvienced the travelling pub 1 lie and often endangered lives. As 1 long as highways were good stages would operate, but this service would be discontinued whenever roads were bad. The service today is just as re- 1 liable as that given by the railroads. One of the more progressive stage lines has even gone so far as to build iY, fw i1l, s,. convenience and appearance either of the railroad depots here
 As a reward for their good service and reasonable rates about 1000 pas sengers pay their fares to the stage lines which operate out of Phoenix every day An average of 15,000 pas sengers travel in stages between Phoenix and Mesa every month proportionate number of passengers are hauled between other points.
 But under the corporation commits sion the maintenance of stage lines has become a business where it had once been chance venture. A few years ago an independent stage driver could make immense profits in a short time | provided he worked under favorabls conditions. But a few weeks of ad- verse circumstances would probably bankrupt the same driver. Today the application for a permit to operate a stage must show his financial rating to be sufficiently good to warrant his entering the business. AS he is re- quired to operate his car in all sorts of weather and over roads not always in even fair condition the stage owner must be prepared to lose money during this period while maintaining good service. So while some of the com panies are paying reasonable dividends their earnings do not attract the cu- pidity of the plunger-
 Drivers Are Bonded
 With better regulation of the stage lines there has naturally come about a better class of stage drivers. The man who operates a stage today is gen. orally a steady, sober. skilled driver who is constantly on the lookout tc safeguard the passengers. One reason for this may be found in the regula- ton which requires all owners of stage lines to hold indemnity insurance fol at least $10.000.
 The law which gave the corporation commission it's present supervision oi the stage lines of the state went into effect June 1, 1919, and since that time it has been upheld by the supreme court on several occasions.
 Some of the towns now reached from Phoenix by stage include Tempe Mesa, Chandler, Roosevelt, Miami Globe, Hewitt Superior. Peoria, Ray Litchfield, Tolleson, Fowler. Buckeye Palo Verde, Cashion, Coldwater, Wag- oner, Avondale. Gillespie dam. Mari nette. Scottsdale, Casa Grande, Spring. CT and Glendale.
 The corporation commission is now considering a petition from the Unior Auto Transportation company to con- meet Phoenix and Florence with 2 stage line. The Arizona Buss company has also asked to run a stage from Mayer to Phoenix, completing a direct line from Prescott to this city.