The border vidette., 1933-01-07
A MOVE FOR PROTECTING ARl-
IONA FAMERS

| i've ASSOCIATION, mas Oeen form
ed for the purpose of warring on
motor trucks from California
which bring in commodities in
com petition with those produced
in this state. 10 the bulletin to
it's mem bers in the various coun
ties it sets forth objects as fol
lows:
"The purpose of the associa.
tion is to work for remedial
legislation which will correct
conditions so distressing to the
producers with regard to the in
vasion of out -of-state trucks.
Taxes on farms are as heavy
as ever, yet the price of farm
products in many instances has
fallen to all-time lows. so that
farmers and producers cannot
even sell their proc ucts for
enough to pay interest and taxes.
There is nothing that breaks the
prices of agricultural and horti
cultural product in Arizona to
a creator extent than the inter
state trucking custom. Yet those
who carry on this ira ffic, for the
most part, escape paying just
taxes, if any at all, while taxes
remain as heavy on the farmer
as ever, yet most of their pro
ducts do not now sell for a price
sufficient to pay the cost Of pro-
duction.
The foregoing states worthy
aim, but it does not mention Oh
lection to the big trucks; the
great damage they do to the
state highways, which the rail
roads that they compete With
helped to build. At Phoenix
these trucks wifi long trailers
arrive almost daily with gasoline
and other products. and each
trip they make costs Arizona a
considerable SUN in wear and
tear on the roads they traverse.
If the next legislature can en-
act law that will curb these
Invaders" and at the same time
cause no Inconvenience to trucks
operated by Arizonans in con-
Quoting their business. it should
be done. A measure Of this
kind was before the last legisla
ture, but it penalized people in
this state as we'll as the outsid
ers. hence it failed to pass.
The Somerton Star, published
in Yuma county through which
most of the California trucks
travel with their loads of pro
duce, has this to say in regard
to these road ruiners":
1t isn't long after the average
Arizona car owners gets to driv
ing the highways that be COM
mences to realize the necessity
for stricter laws regulating the
truck and bus traffic. Only when
be is driving does the enormous
merchandise vehicles become a
problem. Now that the supreme
court has ruled that each state
can proceed reasonably to regu
late truck traffic on highways,
the matter has come up for re
newed discussion.
THE states have no quarrel
with truck transportation so long
as the trucks are of reasonable
size. But the truckers have not
been content to stop at decent
width; they are insisting upon
operating high, wide and ponder
Gus vehicles that are not alone a
menace to every passenger car
that traverses the highways, but
that actually do more damage to
the roads than scores Of cars
could do. Not only that, but
lengty trailers are now insisted
upon, practically doubling the
danger to those who have to
drive by them or around them.
The states are said to be try
ing to correct a situation that
has come to be little short of a
nuisance, and it is to be hoped
that our own legislature pro
ceeds at the earliest possible
moment to fall into line. Pres
ent regulations are not wholly
satisfactory. There is too much
money invested in privately own
ed cars and in improved high
ways to cripple that investment
with dangerous truck ira ftic. y
Prescott Courier.
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