Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-03-01

fcrent members Of the commission from the
first, and have yet to hear that any decision
made by the commission has been in any
way questioned 10y the roads We have
sometimes made wry face, but have ac-
cepted their decisions. l want TO try to
show you that il is actually impossible for a
commercial center To have mile
age further than they do in
Illinois. The Rock Island road that rep
resent carries about four million tons. i
won trouble you much in figures. Everything
they carry, whether from New York TO Des
Moines, or Des MOnes to San Francisco, four
million Is the aggregate. Iowa is where we
make our money.
We carry into Iowa and out of Iowa two and
one-fOurth millions out of that four millions.
That is the business that Iowa is sustaining
with other States. 1t goes principally to
Chicago, Peoria, and a little TO ST. Louis.
OF the business actually carried in Iowa be-
tween Council Bluffs and Davenport, 675,-
600 tons are the total. That is the business
you control and can legislate on. l want
simply to say know you are all tired-that
this 675, 900 tons we cannot make rates on
and you cannot make rates on it. The United
ed States has made what is called the inter-
State law, the long and short haul. If we
make forty cent rate from Davenport to
over Iowa. If we make rate from Chicago
to Council Bluffs Of sixty cents we must
make certain differential rates less at the COM
mercial centers along the Mississippi river
On frst-class that is twenty cents. There is
great war going on among us. l see
that by tO-nights papers that we are making
on first class from Chicago TO DeS MOines
twenty-five cents The rate from Chicago to
Council Bluffs is, | think, thirty-four cents.
| have not been in the Office for two or three
days, but it will be about fifteen cents to Des
MOines from Davenport, when it is twenty
five cents from Chicago. The long and short
haul principle prevails, and your great State
is the highway from Chicago to Council
Bluffs, Chicago to Salt Lake, New York to
Salt Lake. The little villages east of here
pay no higher rate than Des Mones. Now
will you go back TO the old principle which
you all gave up when the granger law was
abolished, and fix rates to cripple the rail-
roads. Your State has been flouriShing since
1879 and all have been proud Of it and there
has been good feeling between the manufac-
turers and merchants and railroads We
have TO make rates from Chicago, Davenport,
Des Moines and Council Bluffs, and we try
to have each interest equitably adjusted. We
manage by great many meetings together
to draw the line north and south in Iowa,
and keep the rates from Chicago the same.
If l make rate at MarengO, which is nine
and one-half from the Northwestern, Mr..
Wicker promptly meets it at Blair. We
cannot afford to have our rates bit higher
than our neghbors, because if we do the
business would go away from us. You must
see that we are coming to you as friends.
We want you TO feel this, that this is diff
cult subject, that all interest must be con-
served, and if you can make any suggestions
TO us by which our business can be improved
to help the State we shall cheerfully adopt
them. We have observed the long and short
principle in Iowa, but l would like If posi-
bic that in the case Of manufacturers the
power should be left with the commissioners
to suspend the law, when they deem neceS-
sary. My reason for it Is this, that such
manufacturers as wagons and agricultural
implements in this State are really little
too far west. They have to get the iron
from Pittsburg and the different qualities of
lumber from Indiana, etc, and then ship
their product out. / think it would help
the struggling manufacturers in the west who
have to ship to foreign countries, to suspend
| the law in their case.
/ have a great deal more to say, but as it
| is late will retire, thanking you for your
| kindness.