Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-16
The Iowa Supreme Court Sustains its
Law Giving It's Commission Power
ts Make Joint Rates.


The decision Of the supreme court
Of Iowa in what's known as the
JOINT rate case is Of great importance.
The decision afiirms in the broadest
sense the statute enacted by the leg
islature at it's last session requiring
lie corporations to make joint rates
or the state railroad commission TO
establish maximum rates for baul-
nver two or more lines, the hsul-
eing within the state.
The history Of this matter il a
striking illustration Of the arbitrary
md exasperatiug conduct of the
ailroad corporations which has
Dnpellcd the people to act in self
ivfense.
The railroad law which was en-
,cled by the Iowa legislature in the
essi0n Of 1857, the same being
.ilnost a litora, copy Of the Older
Illinois law, did not specifically
provide that the railroad cpmmis.
-ioners might establish maximum
Joint rates. The railroad companie.
were at perfect liberiy to make such
rates themselves. They had mad,
Joint ratesh heretofore, but they re-
fused to do 80 further, the moment
the legislature passed the railroad
ac =.
At that time The operations
began Il strenuous litigation toannul
the railroad law. While the liliga-
tion was In progress they instituted
n systematic plan 10 make the law
"oiious" to the people They pro-
pu.ei to 50 hariss aud badger the
people As to create public senti-
meut ia favor Of repeating all the
railroad laws that the railroad own
ems did not like. II was ia pursu-
uuce Of this scheme that they refus-
I'd to grant joint rates. The refusal
In many cases caused great iucon-
venieuce aud loss 10 business men,
aud in many cases ii caused losses
go the railroad companies them.
s-ly,s.
Gases were taken before the rail-
road commissioners, hut they decid-
ed that they had no power TO com
p.l The companies to grant joint |
rates, although the companies might !
do 81 Il they chust. Then some OF /
the companies claimed that they
had no right 10 grant joint rates |
under the law, but later they did !
make !oint rates where It suited !
their own convenience, but -till re-
fused them where the public inter
est required the rates.
The last legislature promptly took |
mp the matler and passed carefully /
drawn Joint rate act. The rcpresen- !
tativcs of all the leading Iowa rail- /
road men were called before the /
COMMITTEES, and al their 1
,uggcstiun changes were made IN
hc bill. Some OF them said that
he bin Was a fair one.
Vet ,he law Was immediately an.
ugur lied by tie railroads. They /
arried the war into Ihc courts aud
ughti with all tie arts known 60 |
cunning. The ease has b'eu
Tagged through the courts Tor over
year The supreme court nov
nrns the entire validity of th,
luiutc.
It's tit to remark that the com. /
aui,s, while they have done their /
Htrvrs a good deal of damage, hay, |
jurcd themselves mop. Their |
.urse hSs bcyn invNcu-ablr. They
ave gratuitously aggravated the |
soplc. They have shows "a Aclious
Ud viudictiye spirit There WAS
salutrly nothing 60 gain thus in
be- cas,, but everything tn lose.
he companies could uuI aiiunl 10
% ~ they huvc doue even if th,y
iuid Thereby have secured thuus-
ids Of dollar, OF revenue, |,
There ar, some mighty smart rail- 3
sal men, bat good many OF them, ,
, tie old Keutucbiou says,
aiu't gul uo sense" n