Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-15
70 REGULATE RATES
Small Shippers Want Powers Of
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Enlarged.
Large Concerns Favored by Rail-
ways to Detriment Of Small.
er Shippers.
Favor Granting Of Power to Low
er All Rates to Level
With Cut Rates.

Washington, April 15.-R. S. Lyons
and w. H. Chadwick of the Chicago
board of trade and T. w. Tomlinson,
representing the Chicago Live Stock
Exchange, appeared before the house
interstate commerce committee yes
terday and advocated the adoption OF
the interstate commerce commission.
Mr.. Lyons told the committee that
the railroad companies favored the
large shippers and Disseminated
against the small ones. He said the
shippers of Chicago were Disseminated
against on consignments of goods for
points east of the Mississippi river. He
made a plea for a uniform rate for the
large and small shippers. He said it
was extremely important for the small
shippers to know what the rates were
at the time the shipments We're made
and what they would be in the future.
Mr.. Lyon told the committee of the
disadvantages under which the small
shippers labored and that this could be
remedied IL congress would enact a law
which would give the commission the
power to fix rates, to determine as to
whether rates were Reasonable, and
when a reasonable rate had once been
determind upon by the commission it
should become effective at once with
out waiting for the United States
courts to pass upon the matter Mr..
Lyons said a preference was given the
shippers of wheat for the eastern
markets and for export, and that the
rate upon this product is so low that
lit is Improbable for the millers to ship
flour.
1t was argued by Mr.. Tomlinson that
if the interstate commerce commission
We're given the power 1T could lower all
rates to meet the cut rates given by
the railroads to the large shippers and
that this action would do away with
the cut rate problem which is now so
troublesome to the small shippers. He
said IL the railroad companies volun-
tarily reduced their rates to the large
shippers it was evident the transpor-
tation companies could carry goods at
the cut rate as fair profit.
If. he said, the railroads could af-
ford to lower their rates for the big
shippers they could also afford to do
so for the smaller ones. Mr.. Tomlin-
son told the committee that better
rate was given on dressed beef than
could be obtained in proportion on beef
on the hoof Beef before it was slaugit-
cred. he said, was unfairly discrimin-
sated against and this discrimination
was an advantage. to the3 concern
which handled dressed beef. He also
wanted the commission given greater
powers. That body should be given
authority to determine as to the rea-
sonableness of the rate and 1T should
have the power to fix rates andl put
them in operation at once.
Neither of the witnesses who appear
ed before the committee today sug-
gested a remedy for the Objectionable
features of the bill now pending which
if adopted in it's present form would,
it is said. encroach upon the rights Of
the courts and give to the interstate
commission judicial functions. Mr..
Chadwick did not address the commit
tee today but will do so tomorrow.