Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-22

improved character. Il mere lS y ieAAA
1 way now, across the state of Illinois
recently improved until it's grades ar
|but twenty feet to the mile and III
curves but one degree. An engine WI
4 pull from the city of Burlington to TIL
city of Chicago 1900 tons of live freigh
in ten hours time, at a total cost 10
power of merely moving the freight
three cents ton for the whole dis
/ lance.
"The cheapness with which an i'm
proved railway under the most favor
able conditions can new carry frelBn
is conceivable. In my Judgment,
the same expenditures had been made
in the Improvement of the railways
of the United States as have beer
wasted in the river and harbor bill
results infinitely more desirable coule
| have been secured. Freight rates or
rivers, notwithstanding our eXpendi-
lures, are going UP instead OF down
while railway rates are constantly OIL
the decline. When we began this sys-
| TEN 30 or 81 years ago, railway 1relghts
were three times higher In the umtec
| States than they are today. RIVER
freight is going up and railway freight
| is going down. | remember in one
of the discussions here gentleman
from Missouri insisted that the I'M
proyements of the Missouri river was a
corrective and a restraint upon the
railway charges. We did not have be-
fore us then the details which the
| chairman of the committee have now
given us. What corrective influence
was there in this movement by river OF
| 21S,00O tons of sand distance of two
miles upon railway freights in the
United States?"
MIR. Reeves here interrupted to say:
II merely want to suggest that at the
time the gentleman voted for the Hen
I.nepin canal 1 had not been honored
with a seat in this body; that 1t was
a fixed fact before l came here. done
primarily in the interest of the farm
ers of Iowa. that they might get their
freights to the lakes for cheap trans
portation."
Mr. Hepburn replied as follows:
THAT is true; but l want to announce
now the melancholy fact that nearly
all the farmers of that day are dead;
but it is my understanding that the
canal is still incomplete and is drawing
annual appropriations from the treas
ury of the United States. / have no
doubt but that is to be an enduring
monument to the river and harbor
committee or the committee that makes
the appropriation; enduring, however,
in the sense that appropriations are
to be continued indefinitely.
.Mr. chairman, there is one other
matter that want to scold about a little
while I am in the mood, and that is
the kindness of the committee in re-
gard to the new appropriations that
from thine to time they make. AS !
have said, I think that but few of us
would cavel at the improvement OF
great farbors, those that already have
commerce or where there is a prospec-
tive need of Improvement, not for the
accommodation of a single man or or
q single institution, but in those To-
calities where multitudes have gath
cred and where the trade of many is
carried on. I have in mind an in
stance can not vouch for all of Its
truth-where gentleman went to the
city of the honored chairman of the
committee, seeking a site for some
iron works. Dissatisfied with the prices
that he must pay for real estate, he
went farther along the lake to a little
village, accommodated by railway,
and established himself there, and then
blandly came to congress with the re-
quest that harbor might be. construct
ed In order to carry on the commerce
of the great lakes.
Sometime we may have speaker
of such wonderful courage-and make
no reflections upon my honored coll
ieague-as to see to it that the river
and harbor committee is composed of
men coming from districts having no
special interests to be conserved In
that bill.
When that times comes. and a dis
passionate view can be taken of the
nprovenents-mark you improve
ments rather than personal interests
this bill. under the leadership of Mr..
Burton. instead of being something to
excite alarm. will be in the interest of
the whole country, of its commerce,
and of its treasury"
Col. Hepburn began his address to
empty desks and concluded in the pres
ence of a filed chamber and packed
galleries. He was given great ova-
ton at the conclusion of his remarks
and the entire membership of the house
was awake. FRANK J. STILLMAN