Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-02
Warm Time at the Railroad
Committees Hearing on
the Delano Bill
THE RAILROAD MEN ARE HEARD
The Stock Shippers Take Hand in
Asking Questions and the Meeting
Which Was a Large One, Becomes
Unusually Acknowledgements Of
the Railway Managers.


Des Moines, March 2.-An unusual
scene was witnessed in the hall of the
Ihouse Of representatives yesterday az
| terneon. There is provision of law
which forbids the use Of eiteher the
senate or the house chambers for any
lother than legislative purposes. This
has always been strictly construed 50
! that there never have been very many
public gatherings Of any kind in the
state capitol, save those small enough
| to be accommodated in committee
room. Yesterday afternoon the rail-
road committee Of the house had sche-
duled for another hearing on the
Delano stock shippers bill. The ad-
vocates of the bill had been given, in
lall, four days in which to present their
desires and the railroad companies had
had practically but one chance at It.
\ The railroads were to have another
day. 1t so happened, however, that the
Injecting of the newly formed Corn Belt
Meat Producers Association was be-
ling held in the city. and as the MEM
bers are backing the bill an adjourn
ment was taken and they went to the
state house to listen to the arguments
before the committee. The largest
committee room in the building was
filled to overlooking with people and
scores could not get in. The chairman,
Mr.. Wise. at the outset, suggested adj
| journrnent to the hall OF the house,
Iwllfch was DONE and the committee
met there, the speakers standing at
1.-THE clerks desk. It was something
never before done by committee.
Probably 200 of the stock Shippers Of
| the state We're present as interested
| listeners and the committee was ad-
dressed by the Leading men In the OPP
Grating departments Of the railroads
running thru Iowa.
| Those who spoke in opposition TO
the measure were Messrs. Gardner.
Delano Daley, SMfer and Williams,
| general managers respectively of the
Northwestern, the Burlington, the ILL.,
nois Central, the Rock Island and the
Milwaukee lines Of railroad, doing
business In, Iowa. 1t was strictly a
hearing from the operating depart
Iments and they spoke Of the practical
difficulties in the way Of applying the
| law should the bill become law.
1
stocknlen with questions; but Manager
Deiano suggested that IL the stockmen
desired to hear from him he would be
glad to accept an invitation to attend
/ their meeting and talk.
Regulating Speed.
The general line OF argument OF the
representatives Of the railroad COM
panfes which was much the same in all
cases-the impossibility Of moving
trains at fixed rate. OF speed, or Of
getting them all at the market at the
same time. Last year 100000 cars
were sent into the stock yards at Chi
cago, Or 10000 more than the previo-.s
year. which would indicate the stock
business IS not failure. The North
western company had handled $4,000
cars Of stock and there were but five
cases OF claims for damages on ac-
count Of delay that We're not settled
TO the satisfaction OF both parties. Two
| Of the other cases have been non-suit-
| ed. The company paid out in claims
| Of this character last year over $780,
1000. This was eited.as an Illustration
Of the comparative freedom from dis
agreements In the stock business. The
same company, Mr.. Gardner stated.
| generally has twenty-five stock trains
Into Chicago every Monday morning.
It would be impossible to get them all
lin at the same time. The Milwaukee
company 1t was stated later, often
| has as many as fifteen stock trains
on the tracks between Savannah and
Chicago and they cannot run closer
together than fifteen minutes. Mr..
Delano spoke OF the fact that extra
speed in trains costs money and it
cannot be reached without great ex-
pense.
Some Questions Asked.
While Mr.. Gardner, OF the Northwes-
tern was talking to the committee,
there was an interesting interruption.
Dan Sheehan, one Of the stockmen,
asked what the Northwestern had
made by cutting off stock passes for
return OF shippers. Mr.. Gardner did
not know, but the company had taken
5000 carloads into Chicago and that
would mean about 1890 return passes.
Mr.. Sheehan figured they We're worth
about SIS EACH and he insisted that it
should have meant lowering freight
rates at least that much. j. J. Ryan,
of Fort Dodge, organizer for the assoc
citation OF stockmen, asked Mr.. Card
ner il his company would undertake to
take a train into Chicago on less than
twenty-six hours, and II not was it be-