Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-12-25

moon. EDWARD GLEASON, Master.
A. KNOWLES. Sec.
Synopsis OF the Address by Grand
Master Smedley on Cheap Trans
portation.
The question of cheap transportation
is the one which to-day over-tops all
other questions of public policy. In
my report to YOU at our last session,
l aimed to show its importance to
the people of our State, and by care
fully prepared statistics to show the
amount of municipal, governmental
and local aid, furnished to the various
railways, together with the cores
ponding ratio Of taxation between
railway and farm property, and to
make clear to you the discrimination
in rates between long and short dis
tances, and the actual cost Of railways
per mile. 1t seems proper that |
should now communicate to you
whatever may have happened during
the year to throw light on this sub
jject. The year just closing has been
marked rs that in which the first or
ganized effort on the part of the peo-
pie and government to resist the
encroachments of the immense cor
porations, and of resistance on the
part of some of these companies
against such effort. The ''Potter
Law" passed by the Legislature of
Wisconsin is reviewed, together with
the action of two of the prominent
railroad companies of the State,
which gave public notice that they
should disregard it, and the subse-
auent decisions of the courts by
which they were compelled finally to
obey the law.
In our own State, the committees
appointed at our last session met the
railroad committee of the House, and
submitted for their consideration a
synopsis of law which, in their
opinion, would meet the necessities
Of the case, which suggestions were,
however, disregarded by the General
Assembly, and law enacted which
was approved.
This law fixes the minimum and
maximum rates for freight and pas
senger fares, and provides against
unjust discrimination, but does not
provide for any complete system of
investigation, aad for no general SUI
pervision or enforcement of the law
other than such as the Executive
Council of the State government can
give. CThe provisions suggested are
given in the report OF the Finance
Committee.) Essential requisites to
the enforcement of the law passed
were omitted. Ten thousand dollars
were appropriated to aid in any pros
ecutions for its Infringement, but
practically, every citizen suffering
from the aggression is left to fight
his battle singh. handed and alone
The valuation placed on railway pro-
perty by the officers of the companies
amounts to nearly one hundred mil
lions of dollars, and to protect the
citizens of the State against the en-
croachments of this immense capital,
we have appropriated ten thousand
dollars.
The citizen to gain redress through
the courts must fight his own way
from the lowest to the highest court
of the nation, finding opposed to him
at every step the best talent Of the
country, and he may well ask, is it
the duty of the government to protect
the rights of the weak against the
aggressions of the strong. Economy
in the expenses of the government is
to be commended, but whether the
economy that made an appropriation
that would not carry one suit through
the range of the courts and thus
meet the ends in view, is conducive
to the best interests of the country, is
left to the intelligent Judgment to de-
eide.
This law has been called Grange
Legislation, but rs but one single
suggestion of the State Grange Com
mittee was incorporated in the pres
ent law, the injustice Of this may be
plainly seen.
A majority of the railways of the
State have acted in compliance with
the requirements of the law, but some
of the strongest companies openly
and flagrantly disregard it. The ac-
ton Of these companies is not only a
direct insult to the sovereignty of the
State, and without precedent in the
history of the country, but practi-
cally sets aside the authority of all
laws and edicts enacted by the le-
gally elected representatives Of the
people.
The Importance Of this subject to
the industrial and productive inter
ests of the State are but Just begin
ming to be understood. But the re-
sistless march of intellectual thought
and the conviction which comes from
investigation must and will create Il
public sentiment which is more po-
tent than legislation or even the com
blnation of organized capital.
Iowa is producing State. Near
ly all its products must find distant
market, hence the question is a vital
one to us.
A statistical statement Of the pro-
auctions of the State arc here given,
followed by the assertion of the fact
that on the price paid per bushel on
wheat to Liverpool, nearly one-half
is paid as freight between the farm
in our own State and Chicago, not
withstanding the munificent aid Civ
en- to railroad companies by the peo-
pie.
The United States Committee on
Transportation gives this as the result
of the fullest investigation: "That
if proper and perfectly practicable
provision by the government for in
creasing and cheapc1ing the means
of transportation were made, it would
lessen the cost thereof fully fifty per
cent below the average of existing
and past rates of freight charges each
way-and would at the same time
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