Arizona republican., 1921-04-27
WILL MAKE PROTEST OV ALLEGED UNF AIR RAILROAD CHARGES

Are Arizona farmers plawing under their lettuce and other farm products because of lack of market?
 Are they destroying foods because of the eXorbitant shipment rates that make the market prohibiive?
 These are the questions that D. R. Johnson, rate expert of the corpara- tion commission, desires to have an swered before he goes to California seeking relief for Arizona shippers before the interstate commerce conl- mission.
 Rumors have reached the corpora tion commission that Salt River val. ley vegetables have been plOWed ur.- der, but MT. Johnson does not pro pose to go before the commission with rumors. He wants concrete evi dence and is asking farmers to advise him if such are the facts and if they are, to make affidavits to that effect.
 That he hopes to seek sl reduction on refrigeration charges is the reason for his appearance before the com mission, which will hold a series of hearings on the coast. That there has been discrimination against Phoenix in the matter of car refrige- ration is the claim of Mir Johnson, who says the city has been penalized at the rate of $30 a carload, which in the matter of cantaloupes alone means a matter of approximately s90,000 a year. Hundreds of thou sands of dollars could be saved to the i valley if the rates were fair, Johnson ! said yesterday.
 l The l. c. C. hearings are being | held at the request of California and l Colorado legislatures and the com l mission has designated Henry J Ford, special assistant to the com mission, to conduct the conferences with the carriers and shippers re 1 garding the fruit and vegetable situ- ation in those states While the con- 1 ference relates primarily to rates to i and from California and Colorado points, carriers and shippers organi- zations from other producing dis trictS will be granted the opportunity 1 of making statements.
 Arizona as an intermediate point between California and the east will be given the benefit of any lower rate ! that might be granted" said Mr. Johnson. However, there is the matter of refrigeration, and if con
 sidered by the interstate commerce
 commission as rate Phoenix will try to make a showing that il should ar
 least not be charged any more than
 California. Phoenix is panliZer $30 Q
 car over Fresno or any other point ir
 California on the main line Of the
 Santa Fe or Southern Pacific. From
 Phoenix to Dallas, q distance of .0S-
 miles, the refrigeration charge is
 S120. and for a car from here to Eev
 York, a distance of 2.653 miles, $40
 From Fresno to Dallas, 1.736 miles
 car refrigeration is $90, and from ths
 California point to New York, 3,17.
 miles. S11o ner car"
 While Nr. Johnson spoke particu-
 larly of the discrimination in charge,
 on refrigeration of cantaloupe cars r.
 said the same principle applied tC
 berries, vegetables and citrus fruits
 He spoke particularly in regard tc
 the melons, due to the number shipped In 1919 there were LSf- carloads sent from Arizona practi- calIy SD per cent of which were iron the Salt River valley.
 NGr Johnson said he had been in formed by E. A Myers rcpresenta tive of the American Fruit Growers | association, that 3.110 acres had beer planted in melons and that ther would be a minimum of not less thar | 1000 carloads shipped from the sta this year.
 MT. Johnson, who will represen l the corporation commission at tn | hearings, the first of which will b. | held in Los Angeles May B. will D, | accompanied by Roland Johnston | traffic representative of the chambe | of commerce.