The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-06-27
COMMERCE AMONG THE STATES.

COMMERCE AMONG THE STATES.
Speech Delivered by Hon. M. M. Walden,
in the House of Representatives, Feb.
| IL, ~.
Mr.. Speaker, a few days since, the
House, by resolution. instructed the
committee on commerce to inquire
"whether the commerce among the
several States of this Union is injur.
iously affected by any inadequacy in
the present means of land transpor-
tation, or by combination or monop-
oily, in the control or ownership
thereof, or means of any excessive or
inequitable rates of freights or fare
charged by common carriers, or by
means of other improper burdens or
restraints imposed upon such com.
merce by carriers.
This is a subject of Importance to
the whole country, and of vital in
terest to the people l have the honor
to represent. I refer to district in
the interior of Iowa, separate from
the large rivers on either side, and
whose chief interests are agriculture.
Iowa is eminently a grain produc.
ing State. AS shown from the last
monthly report from the Depart.
ment of Agriculture, that State
ranks above all others in her capacity
to produce corn, oats and barley,
and stands higher in respect to other
products of the farm; while, as
shown by the same report, the South
ern States rank lowest in this re-
spect. In Iowa the average yield
of oorn last year was 42.5 bushels
per acre oats, all; barley 29.6.
For the same year, the average
yield of corn in Louisiana is given at
l4.4 bushels per acre, and other
States on the lower Mississippi the
same. The same report gave the av-
erage price of corn in Iowa, last year
at twenty three cents per bushel,
while in Louisiana it was one dollar
and twelve cents.
Iowa should therefore offer extra
inducements to farmers. The soil is
rich and productive. The surface is
generally undulating, thus enabling
the farmer to use labor saving ma
chinery. Only small per cent of the
land is untillable; and two grand
rivers flow past its borders, to float
the grain to the Southern market,
where as we have seen, the same
product cannot be produced, and is
therefore in greatest demand. But
you will be surprised to hear that
papers of Iowa, on lines of railroad
running east and west, where there
Is no other choice of market other
than Chicago or the East, are quo
ting corn at farm fifteen to twenty
cents per bushel. Why is this ?
Why in that land so favored by ma
ture, do farmers stand on the streets
with wagons loaded with grain, and
beg for buyers? Why are they OPP
pressed with debt, when the harvest
has been so bountiful, and while five
lines of railroads cross the State,
connecting all sections with the great
rivers that were designed by nature
as highways for the commerce OF
that fruitful country? The answer,
Mr.. Speaker, is found in the fact that
the railroads are in the hands of par
ties interested in the growth of Chi
cago, and eastern cities; and their
schedules of rates are 80 framed that
it costs only a fraction less to ship a
bushel of grain from a point in the
interior of Iowa to the river, than
from the same point to Chicago.
And in this way are We deprived of
the cheap freigbts that otherwise
would be afforded by the rivers.
Take point on one of the cas-
tern and western roads in Iowa, and
you will find the charges almost as
much from there to the river, as
from the same point to Chicago,
three or four times as far. The ei-
feet of this unfair discrimination is to
compel the farmers to ship their
their grain to Chicago, or convert it
into live stock. and in either case
their profits are greatly diminished.
Where is the remedy? Partial re-
lief will, and doubtless may, be found
in the construction of ship canal
around Niagara Falls, and the open.
ing of water communication from the
Mississippi river to the Atlantic
seabord, via the Lakes at St. Law
renee. In my judgment, however,
the only way to give speedy and
effective relief is the passage
of a bill providing that rail
roads shall be limited to reason
able rates, on local charges, at least.
Has Congress the power to enter
on such legislation? Is there a ne
cessity? The Constitution declares
in open terms that Congress shall
have power to regulate commerce
among the everal States" and we
have eminent legal authority for the
statement that the right to regulate
commerce implies the right to regu-
late the means of commerce, and
even the persons engaged therein.
We should also bear in mind that
railroads, as a means of commerce,
have come into general use since the
formation of the Constitution. Mr..
Justice Miller, in the Clinton bridge
case, as found in volume two, United
States Circuit Court Reports, page
$50, says:
disc is transported lie an element of commerce.
This has been repeatedly held in respect OF
navigation, and Congress has legislated upon the
"The railroad, as much as the steamboat, is a
means Of interchanging persons and property
when railroads become portions of the great
highways of our Union, acting an important part
in commerce which embraces many States, to
regulate them is to regulate commerce" =.
in this view of the subject Congress has pass
ed statutes regulating steamboats,, their construc
ton, equipment, officers and crews, prescribing
| qualifications of pilots and engineers, limiting
| the number of passengers they may carry, and
| prescribing the signals they shall use in passing
! each other in short, 1t has passed minute code
| for building and navigating those vessels. The
right to do this, depends wholly on the power
vested In Congress to regulate commerce, and
| has never been disputed
| Navigation, however, is only one of the ele-
ments Of commerce. IL Is an element OF com
| tation of passengers and merchandise, the inter-
change Of which is commerce ITSELF Any other
ment Of commerce a. navigation.
Another means oftransportation' equal in i'm
| istence since the Constitution was adopted. BY
| 1t merchandise is transported across States and
| Kingdoms by the same vehicle in which It start
| ed. The railroad now shares with the steamboat
the monopoly OF the carrying trade, The one has,
with great benefit, been subjected to the control
| of salutary congressional legislation. Is there
| any reason why the other should not beS How
| ever the question may be answered in regard to
| that commerce which Ia conducted wholly within
| the limits OF a State, and which is therefore
neither foreign commerce, nor commerce among
the States, il seems to me that when these roads
| become part of the great highways of our Union,
| acting an important part in a commerce which
| embraces many States, and destined, as some OF