Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-10
Enforcement or the Illinois R
IL. Law.

The recent enforcement of the H.
that State has put rates into such n
muddle as probably never was seen
or known before in this city. 1t was
the talk on Change, in the Board of
Trade, and in business circles gencr-
ally, all day yesterday, and the
freight agents of the railroads here
were in constant demand for infor-
nation on the subject.
All the railroads received nOtitiCa.
ton by letter and telegraph that ex-
iSting rates must cease after this day,
when the law goes into effect. A re-
porter for the Commercial had talk
with the General Freight Agents Of
two of our leading railroads upon the
subject, yesterday, the result OF
which will be of interest at this time.
Mr.. RI j. Page, Of the Indianapo-
lis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Rail
road, pronounced the law obnoxious.
He said:
"They have passed an obnoxious
laW-obnOxiOuS not only there, but
here. The effect on Cincinnati will
be the same as on all other live cities.
That effect is: For instance, we make
a rate from Cincinnati to Peoria at
thirty cents per hundred on fourth
class freight. Now under the new
law we can make such rates as we
see proper from Cincinnati to the
Indiana and Illinois State limo,
which we would make our proper
ton of the present through rates per
mile; then from the State line to the
destination in Illinois we must add
the rate of the local tariff OF the H.
linois road, which will increase the
through rate nearly one hundred per
cent, without benefting the lines in
common.
"In order to make this clear, we
will suppose a case. A merchant In
Cincinnati proposes under the new
law to forward freight to Rock Is
land, Illinois. The present ratio on
fourth class freight is forty cents per
hundred. Under the new law that
rate would be about seventy-five
cents per hundred, and in order to
make this rate the roads in Ohio and
Indiana must carry at their proper
ton Of the forty cent rate, and pay
the Illinois lines their local rates.
The result is that all existing freight
lines which were mutual and co-Ope-
rative with lines in the State OF Him
dis have ceased to work under the
former mutual benefits. If the rates
were made the same per mile from
the East to points in Illinois as the
Illinois roads will be compelled to
collect, the expense Cf transporta-
ton will be SO burdensome as TO
make it impossible to bear.
"The law will not affect Cincinnati
any more than other points outside
of Illinois, as is shown by the gene
raj commotion and questioning pro-
duced by the news of the enforcement
of the law.
"The railroads of Illinois will en-
deavor to make the burthen as light
as possible, but until there is gene
raj understanding aS to what the M
terpretation OF the law il, there Will
necessarily be an unsettled and trou-
bIesome condition Of railroad freights.
Merchants understand what this
means-a total decentralization or for.
warding business.
"Every class will feel it. The
coal, iron, grain, lumber, -four, meat, !,
and in fact every other branch or
business will be affected, but the
onus will fall on the consumer at
last"
Mr.. J. X. Reed, Of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton and Dayton Line, said a
number Of roads had given notice TO
connecting lines that after July !, al!
existing through rates are revoked,
and that full local tariff rates will be
charged. !.
/. From such information as the road
has received from managers IN Hin.
ois, itappears that the law will not