Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-10
President Ames of Corn Belt
Meat Producers Association
Scores Commissioners
TURN WITH POLITICAL WHEEL
Ames Invited the Iowa Commission to
Breathe Once More the Air Of
Freedom-Many interests Have Been
at Work to Secure the Concessions
Recently Granted to, Stock Shippers.

President A. L. Ames of the Corn
Belt Meat Producers Association is
out in statement in which he rather
takes issue with the state railroad
commission of Iowa with respect to the
concessions finally granted by the rail-
roads to stock shippers of Iowa in the
matter of return passes outside of the
state
was to the newspaper of Mr.. Henry
Wallace. In it he denies that the rail-
road commission had anything what
ever to do with the fultillment of the
agreement between the railroads and
the stock shippers.
The communication follows:
Il note with interest the article liz
your issue of May 9Th, setting out the
part taken by the Iowa railroad com
the Iowa farmers. There are a few
matters of detail that are not made as
clear as should be, and for this reason,
hasten to add the following data.
1.-THE organization known as the
Corn Belt Meat Producers Associa-
ton of Iowa, was not organized for
the purpose of advancing the selfish
interests of any individual or political
body. but rather to take up the great
questions of commerce and traffic now
confronting the people of Iowa, and
the other corn belt states.
1T is needless to say that the du
ties of the railroad commissioners of
Iowa were just the same before our
organization was effected as after, and
had this body taken the steps and per-
formed the work it now claims to have
done. our association would not have
been in existence today. This they alb
solutely refused to do. claiming they
had no authority A term, by the
way. much used by other gentlemen
when evading important questions.
Realizing that under existing condi-
tons the only hope of the producer lay
in united effort the present organiza-
ton was formed.
by this means an agreed measure
was made possible and state law en-
acted to cover the transportation
question. It also began systematic
plan for the collection and compiling
OF data to be used in securing better
service and better time for our ship
nents to market.
I'm pursuance Of this policy our com
mittee secured meeting with the gem
eral managers of all railroads ives.
of Chicago, that are interested in the
marketing of Iowa products. At this
conference we were fairly met, and
fairly treated by the railroad people
They took pains to examine our data ia
detail before passing Judgment. Before
the close of the meeting we were toll
that 1t would require some little tins
before they could make public thei.
Judgment upon the matter and the
policy they intended to pursue.
TN accordance with this plan / re-
ceived an invitation as president o:
this association to be present at a
meeting of the general managers or
their representatives at Chicago, April
IS. at which meeting the result of their
Investigations were to be made known
This was carried out to the letter, good
faith being kept by both parties. and
believe better understanding brough,
about, each for the other, that will
prove of material benefit in the future
IneSe were the only Two HleetluSs
when all roads We're represented.
Furthermore at the first conference
the railroad commissioners did not ap-
pear for the reason before stated and
one other-they were not asked, neither
were they wanted.
"a few days prior to the meeting OF
April Is, they no doubt conceived tbs
| plan of securing little political no.
toriety by using the work already done
by us. To this end they fastened t.
Chicago to be ready to give out false
Impressions and assume the false pro-
sition. that they We're the power pos
sessing the magic wand, and by the
use of it's power they were able to Sc
cure the much coveted concessions.
More interests than one have beeu
at work, and no one of them can say
Il did it, We can and will say, how
ever, You did it not, nor has your in
fuence been of any value in this mat
ter to the Iowa producer. 'Tis True you
were in Chicago few days preceding
April %. You were probably the
guests of certain railroad, who will
no doubt continue to use you In the
future as they have in the past. That
YOU were given a separate conference
by the general managers of these trunk
lines, as you would lead the public tn
believe I deny, and know WHEREOF
speak
THE only time the railroad commits