Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-30
did NOT USE THREATS
Railroad Commissioners Regret
Reports as to How Conces-
sions Were Obtained
WILL AID STOCK SHIPPERS
WILL AID STOCK SHIPPERS
Managers Of Railway Companies Pro-
misc to Remedy Delays For Which
They Are Responsible - Local
Freight Rates In Iowa Are Lower
Than In Any Of the Adjoining States.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, April 30.-There is much
qualification among stock shippers and
others over the fact that there is to be
ing Of such favors and communications
to shippers that the main complaints
which have been heard in recent
months will be removed. The new Iowa
law which requires the giving of stock
men return passes goes into effect to-.
morrow. 1t may not be that the passes
will be restored on Monday, but it will
be only few days. The Iowa railroad
commissioners had a consultation with
the railroad managers in Chicago the
past week and brought about perfect
understanding as to what would be
done This includes the granting of the
shippers passes with reasonable re-
strictions and greater speed of trains
and the removal OF the cause of delays.
The fact was published in Chicago that
the Iowa commissioners had threatened
the railroad companies with a reduc-
ton of freight rates in case they did
not comply. This proves not to have
been true. Colonel d. j. Palmer, of the
railroad commission, said In regard to
the matter:
THE commissioners regret to see 1T
reported in the papers that they had
used threats to induce the railroad
companies to grant return passes TO
live stock shippers. No threats were
used. That is not the way the commis>
sioners go about to accomplish the de-
sired results. The report stated that the
commissioners had threatened to re-
duce the live stock rates In Iowa. The
local rates In Iowa are now lower than
in any state adjoining Iowa, Illinois not
excepted: in fact when other states
agitate for lower freight rates they use
Iowa rates as indicating how excessive
their own rates are.
THE meetings that the commissions
ers had with the presidents. general
managers and beads Of freight departs
mer,ts developed that the railway COM
NAMES have nothing but the kindliest
feelings toward the stock shippers or
Iowa and realize the conditions here.
They met the suggestions made by the
commissioners in a friendly way, out
insisted that their previous actions had
been prompted by a desire to remedy
abuses.
SIN response to our inquiries the
managers stated that the privilege OF
return passes to live stock shippers
had been so grossly abused that they
believed they had been justified IN
abandoning that practice, but that If
bona fide owners of stock or actual em-
ployes only had used such Transports
ton then there would have been no
trouble.
THE commissioners suggested that
the return passes should be again Civ
en- with such restrictions as would pres
vent abuse OF the privilege. After the
question had been thoroughly gone
over the committee appointed to confer
with the commissioners advised they
would comply with the request OF the
commissioners and that phase of the
question was settled.
with reference to the delay in get
ting stock into the stock yards this
was done. From Investigations made
personally by the commissioners IL
seems that practically 30 per cent or
more OF the trouble arises from the fact
that the stock yards company Is unable
to unload more than five trains at one
time, and when, as happens usually on
Monday more than any other day of
the week, upwards OF 500 trains are to
be unloaded, and 1t takes about twenty
to twenty-five minutes to unload five
trains, it can readily be seen that some
ones stock is going to be late in I'M
loading.
The managers Of the railway COM
panies promised the board that any
DELAYS on their lines for which they
are responsible. would be renedied. AMI
that they would assist the commission
ers and the stock shippers of Iowa to
induce the stock yards company to un-
load more promptly.
"The commissioners found that the
bulk OF shipments from Iowa reach
Chicago on Monday morning, the day
most of the congestion occurs. They
will investigate and see whether stock
shipments can not be distributed thru
out the week. without disadvantage to
the shippers
AS a matter OF fact the attorneys In
Iowa for the leading railroad compar-
les doing business in the state have
constantly insisted that no matter
whether the law a passed was con
stltutional or not the Stocknlen should
be given return passes and there should
be Improvement in the train service.
One OF the general attorneys in Iowa
for trunk line railroad stated early
this week that he and others had adj
vised restoration of the passes and 1t
was then virtually agreed TO.
"Of course we all knew" he sail
that. the attempt to regulate an in
terstate matter was unconstitutional.
All that the railroad attorneys said
was that If the bill was presented III
the form agreed to 1T would not be
opposed. The stock men, CIR some Of
them, reported as the result of this
statement that we had agreed to rec
ognize the law If passed. That was
not exactly true, but a matter OF little.
moment, for we are as much interested
as anybody in carrying out the spirit
of the law. A short time ago we held
a conference in Chicago, and the stock
dealers were invited there. The mat
ter was fully discussed. The law does
not go into effect until May /. The
railroad managers desired TO consider
all phases Of the matter and asked
that the matter be deferred for another
meeting, Then some of the stockmen
came home and rushed
into the newspapers with the statement
that the railroads had decided they