Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-17
ARIZONA SHOWS
BEST OF STATES
MAKING REPORT.
SpiIsbury Tells Coast Ship
pers at San Francisco
of Business Trend

Rapid progress in ArizOna's develop
ment and steady improvement in Ari-
zona's general business situation were
/ pictured in a report presented to the
Pacific coast transportation advisory
board here today by p G.. Spilsbury
president of the Arizona industrial
congress, as chairmen of the boards
Arizona New Mexico chamber of COM
lmerce contact committee.
More than 500 leading shippers, in
duStrial executives, farm representa-
tives and railroad officials attended
the meeting of the board, which is an
informal organization looking toward
closer cooperation between shippers
and railroads in improving transpor-
! tation service in the southwest The
Arizona report was considered the
most favorable of any presented at
the session, being as follows:
General conditions in Arizona have
been very favorable this winter, with
an equally good outlook for the spring.
Returns to agricultural and livestock
producers have been considerably bet
/ ter than for the season which closed
a year ago; building construction and
new development have been especially
active; tourist travel has been excel
lent, and although mining has been
handicapped by unsatisfactory mar
kets, operations of the industry have
i continued without any material
change.
! "In forming, the new production
season has started this month with
spring lettuce movement which will
probably exceed 5000 cars, as 1000
acres are reported in the Salt River
valley and more than 1000 in the SAT-
ford and Duncan districts. Winter
shipments from the Salt River valley
up to March l, which is usually con-
sidered the dividing point between the
two seasons, totaled 1000 cars from
this valley, AIS from Yuma, and 200
from Stafford, Casa Grande and Dun
can, with some shipments from Yuma
! continuing into the spring. Returns
I to growers were good.
"The outlook for farming this year
is very good, as water supplies are
ample and weather has been favorable
to growing crops. Cotton acreage
probably will be increased materially
over last season, due in part to lands
coming into cultivation in new prof.
ects; alfalfa may show slight in
crease citrus acreage Of course will be
increased and grain acreage has been
reduced. improvement in the farm
situation during the past year is illus
trated by preliminary estimates of the
United States department of agrieul-
! ture showing that the production of
IL principal field crops last year had
an aggregate value, based on prices of
December 1, of $34465, 900, against
$28 1881 900 for the same crops in 1927.
Taking these crops as basis, it is
estimated by the Arizona industrial
congress that the states total farm
production for 1927 had total value
of $40,OOOOO0 This is borne out by a
report of the Salt River Valley Water
Users association placing the value OF
production in the Salt river project at
$21, ,188,000 in the crop year ending last
i September, an increase of $4,000, 900
over the previous season.
'"The livestock industry has entered
the spring with excellent prospects,
ranges being generally good and stock
in excellent condition. The cattle
market has maintained exceptionally
high levels, though contracting OF
range cattle for spring delivery has
been retarded somewhat by the alb
4 sence of rain in California, which
4 takes about 80 per cent of Arizona'S
/, feeder shipments. Recent contracts re-
ported average from $40 to $47.50 a
/ head for yearlings, $50 to $50 for
tWoS, and $55 to $65 for three'S, each
class showing considerable spread
according 10 grade. Cattle shipments
from the state in 1927 were the larg-
est in five years, movement to outside
points exceeding $4,000 head, while
! $4,000 head were slaughtered in the
state. Based on average values for
each class, cattle sales can be esti-
mated as representing about $17,400,-
600, compared to around $12,OO0,0OO in
1926.
Improvement in wool prices has
been favorable to sheep men. Shear
/ ing has been completed in the south
ern wintering grounds, and sales OF
wool to date have averaged So to 81
cts a pound, against 80 to 33 cents
!, last year The wool is also much bet
/ ter in quality. Each lambing has
given excellent results. Last year the
state shipped about 100000 head OF
lambs, $4,000 ewes and 100000 pounds
of WOOL exclusive of Indian wool, rep
resenting an aggregate value with
mohair and Indian wool of approx
mately $4,300,000.
"Some improvement in the copper
market since the latter part of 1927
+! has been of interest in the mining in
dustry, but it is difficult to tell to-
what extent it will continue. Pro-
duction meanwhile is going on at
about the same rate as for some
months past, and new development
work remains active over the entire
state Arizona's metal output last year
was somewhat smaller than in 1926,
amounting to 693,243 900 pounds OF
copper, valued at $9O,511 800; $4185,-
300 in gold; $3,863, 900 in silver;
1926 900 pounds of lead, valued at
$1342.0OO, and 1,984,000 pounds OF
zinc, valued at $124,6O0. The total
value of metal production was $780,
027,0 900, Arizona retaining its place as
the producer of nearly half the copper