Omaha daily bee., 1891-02-13
The Joint Rate Case.
SiolLr City Journal.

StOltT CitU journal,
The decision of the supreme court Of Iowa
in what is known as the JOINT rate case is Of
great Importance The decision aflirms in
the broadcast sense the statute enacted by
the legislature at its last session recurring
tho corporations to make joint rates or the
state railroad commission to esta blish maxi
mum rates for hauls over two or more linesi
the hauls being within the state.
The history of this matter is a striking il
lustration of the arbitrary and exasperatng
conduct Of the railroad corporations which
has compelled the people to act in self-defense.
The railroad law which was enacted by
the Iowa legislature in the session of 1887,
the same being almost a literal copy OF the
older Illinois law, did not specifically pro-
vide that the railroad commissioners might
establish maximum joint rates. The railroad
companies were at perfect liberty to make
such rates themselves. They had made Joint
rates heretofore, but they refused to do so
further the moment the legislature passed
the railroad acts.
At that time the corporations began q
strenuous litigation to annul the railroad
law. While the litigation was in progress
they instituted systematic plan to make the
law 'odioush to the people. They proposed
to so harrass and badger the people as to cre-
ate public sentiment in favor of repeating
all the railroad laws that the railroad own.
ers did not like. 1t was in pursuance of this
scheme that they refused to grant joint rates.
The refusal in many cases caused great IN
convenience and loss to business men and in
many cases it caused losses to the railro I'd
companies themselves.
Cases were taken before the railroad COM
missloners, but they decided that they had
no power to compel the companies to grant
joint rates, although the companies might do
so il they chose. Then some of the com
panieS claimed that they had no ri ght to
grant joint rates under the law, but later
they did make joint rates where it suited
their own convenience, but still refused
them where the public interest required the
rates.
The last legislature promptly took up the
matter and passed carefully drawn Joint
rate act, The Representatives of all the lead
ing Iowa railroad men were called before the
legislative committee, and at their Sugges-
ton changes were made in the bill Some of
them said that the bill was fair one
Yet the law was Immediately anta1 onized
by the railroads. They carried the war into
the courts and fought it with all the arts
known to railroad cunning. Tho case has
been dragging through the courts for over a
year. The supreme court now afiirms the
entire validity of the statute.
1t is fit to remark that the companies, while
they have done their patrons good deal Of
damage have injured themselves more. ThciI
course has been incXcusable They have
gratuitously aggrlv Ited tic g )pe. They
have shown factious and vndictive spirit
There was absolutely nothing TO gain thus IL
this case, but everything to lose. The com.
panies could not afford to do as they have
done even If they could thereby have So
cured thousands of dollars of revenue
There are some mighty smart railroad men,
but good many OF them, as the old Ken
tuckian says, "hain't got no sense"