Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-14
T1se Iowa Law and the Rail.
rOn0e.


The editor in chief Of the Stnte Reg
i1~r was in Chicago a few days since
md under date Of Sth inst, sent from
tbnt city the following special dis
patch, which will he found interest
ing to all our readers;
Some NJ the members OF the Iowa
prere who have been In attendance
here upon the annual session OF the
Northwestern Associated Press, in
teryiewed to-day the managers OF the
different railway companies opera
ting lines In Iowa. to see what they
PROPOSE to do about the new tariff
Jaw. These managers were found
TO be sffable and good natured, and
glad to see "Grangers." They lump
all Iowa people as "Grangers," and
say they mean 1t for fattery. All
Of them had heard Of the Iowa law,
some Of them had not thought much
about II, few had studied it well.
We had been told that some Of these
folks were happy in the thought that
IL Is greater to be man than State,
liz you are a railroad man, but we
didn't find those that represented
this idea. If they keep animals Of
that sort they are the big fellows in
New York.
In order to make sure OF an en-
eouraging start and n gentlemanIy
reception, the party first visited Mr..
Strong, the Assistant General Super
intendent Of the
@. II. Il q, AND THE %. & ~.
Mr.. Strong, himself An Iowa prod
net, and proud Of 1t, was gratiiied to
tell all he knew about il, and that
WAS that he didn't know anything
certainly concerning the probable
programme Of action. The roads
had had no conference, and had not
agreed upon any plan Of general ac-
ton. Neither did he think they
would. Just now they have enough
amusement Of this sort watching the
progress OF the contest between the
railroads and the law in Wisconsin.
lie didn't consider the Iowa tariff
Jaw as severe and repressive as that
of Wisconsin, On his road It would
make reduction Of nearly forty per
cent, which, II the company had
lines only in Iowa, would stop every
wheel on the road, as they would
have to be operated at q dead loss.
lie didn't think any road beginning
and ending In Iowa could observe
the tariff and live. Didn't think
there would be concerted ACTION by
the different roads Owning Iowa
lines; first. because II was the feel
ing for each company 70 flghtits own
lights, and secQpd, the d ilferent roads
were differently situated I'm their re-
lations toward the State in the fea-
iure Of the provisions In their land
grant. The Rock Island, he said,
WAS fettered by a stronger provision
IN It's land grant than the u. 4 NJ.
WAS, If the Rock Island should con-
clude to observe the tariff, as had
been stated, with how much author
ity he did not know, then the i. &
NJ. might be compelled, by the force
of competition, to practically observe
IL also, But If they did have to do
this, they would have to make up
the loss on through or inter- State
freights--on wheat shipped from
Western or Central Iowa to Chicago,
and on lumber and merchandise
shipped from Chicago to the game
yelative points. Interstate freight
the State Of Iowa could not regulate.
Said the western and central portions
OF Iowa would suffer most, and that
the law would inevitably inure to
the benefit Of Eastern Iowa and the
river towns. II would also probably
tend, In the general result, to the
hurt OF Chicago and the help of st.
Louis.
in general terms, Mr.. Strong said
he WIS not prepared to say what the
railroads would or would not do.
There had been no conference among
the companies, nor had there been
any formal conference among the
otficers Of his own company. So he
was not ready to say what they
wonld do. But 1t was his general
opinion, however, that the roads
would not observe the tariff law;
but still, he said, they might. So
far az he was concerned himself, he
would like to do, 1t, to oblige the
people VI Iowa, whom he thought
the best people In the world, but
still railroads couldn't be operated