Arizona republican., 1921-12-30
FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 30. 1921
Most of as sag aOe dislike flattery -oU of us fib in saying it.
 -S. Wilbur German.
The Trail of a conspiracv


 The railroads have agreed on one condition to an inadequate reduction of cement rates to the Salt River valley-permission by the county highway commission to be left in peaceful possession of the excess charges which the roads have already extort ed-a sum varying from s75ooo to s175ooo according to final determination by the interstate commerce commission to just and reasonable rate at the time cement began moving for the highway program and during the time of the movement until the present.
 This money of which the railroads propose to deprive the people this county is the money of our taxpayers, already oppressed by taxation and who are now turning in various ways relief from their perplexities.
 There justification for the cement rate at the beginning of the movement. The Tucson rate was then s54O and was s6.4o, discrimination that could be excused on no possible grounds. It was shown that s4 rate cement from Riverside Colton or Fl Paso would be more remunerative one than many which applied to other commodities
 Hope was held out by the railroad authorities that the Phoenix rate would be reduced to a level with the Tucson rate. Meanwhile it has been ascer- taned, the roads had not the slightest intention of making any such reduction, but, the contrary were then considering plan to increase the Phoenix rate. They accomplished that in July last year by applying the 25 per cent increase to the Phoenix cement rate, bringing it to the present rate of ss
 A comparatively small part of the cement had moved at the s6.4o rate, but of it has moved at the higher rate. When that became effective county highway commission went to the interstate commerce commission for relief. Evidence was taken by an examiner who at the close of the hearing recommended s5.4o rate with reparation for all freight charges that paid excess of that rate
 That than year ago. Ii has been expected frequently since then that the commission would render decision adopting the recommenda- ton of the examiner. But the these expect ed decisions, attorneys of the asphalt trust have appeared with arguments and data and have secured postponements from time to time.
 Now. the railways with this new sop. With first section of the highway program nearly co- plee, with the prospect that little will moved. they propose to reduce the present extor tonate rate to still extortionate rate that will find prohibitive for our purposes. the condition that the county will waive its claim for reparation which have every to believe the interstate commerce commission will allow. along with a rate. s14o lower than the generous" rate with which the roads trying to bribe the highway commission.
 The roads evidently trying ito get out from under at at all to themselves and they adding the injury they have already done the people of this county insult to their intelligence
 We have spoken of the activity of the asphalt trust attorneys in the C. c. litigation which its concerns only the railroads and the county high way commission, representing the taxpayers of the county. Here is where the asphalt interest presum ably les It is expected that there will spirited bidding the larger part of the highway program. At least all hope that the bidding will be spirited various standard types of Class roads and that the contract will be awarded to the lowest and best bidder regardless of the type he represents s6s0 would seriously handicap the cement concrete type for must bear in mind that the present tract awarded the basis of s4 rate cement which the highway commission had been led at that time to believe within the probabilities. Such reasonable rate, by the way, would have saved the taxpayers of this county quarter of a million Iollars.
 A s5.40 rate such now have reason to be- leve will be put in and which the railroads Ing to fogestan by this one-sided compromise would leave the concrete type of roads good fighting chance It would at least result in forcing down The figures of asphalt types to reasonable level
 There must compromise with this niquty which we believe is a conspiracy against the tax payers of Maricopa county.
 The Costly Text Book Scandal
 rrbat 1ir,oitaf Csover- r-oY