Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-15
Governor Believes Interstate
Commerce Commission Must
Have Greater Powers
NO COMPETITION OF THE ROADS
Talking About Improvement Of Mis-
sissippi River He Says That When
Competition Between Roads No
Longer Regulates Rates the Federal
Government Must Step In.
Special to rimes-Republican.

Special to oTimes-Republican
Dubuque, Nov. 15.-Before the meet.
ing of the Mississippi River Improves
ment Association at this city this
afternoon, Governor Cummfns deliv-
cred a notable address in which he
took a very pronounced position as to
the necessity for federal control Of
railway rates and the clothing Of the
interstate commerce commission with
power to regulate freight rates
The association has for it's purpose
agitation and promotion of federal
aid in dredging six foot ship cham
mel in the Mississippi from st. Paul
to st. Louis, claiming such channel
would regulate railroad rates for 100
miles on each side Of the river Gov
ernor Cummins spoke in favor of the
scheme and called attention to the facu
that competition between railroads
was fast disappearing as factor in
regulating rates and that the owners
of great industrial combines We're be-
coming SO closely identified with the
ownership of railroads whereby they
secured favors to the disadvantage Of
every man who ships goods by rail,
that there was only one other agency1eft
for the regulation of railroad rates and
protection of the public, namely the
federal government. He said:
Mr.. Chairman, and Gentlemen Of
the Association: It may be assumed.
without putting the thought in formal
phrase, that am deeply interested in
the welfare Of the state Of Iowa. It
may also be taken for granted that
whatever / can do or say that will
stimulate the growth or increase tha
prosperity of our business affairs will
be gladly done ard enthusiastically
saiG am only less . ..eerested Ia rfr5ss
thihgs which touch atsS Welfare OF our
sister states, and .Sileeu j recognize
that it is imnossibie land l am glad u
is sol to disassdciate the concerns Of
our commonwealth from the concerns
Of the commonwealths around us.
II see in the general object of the
association movement toward the
solution of one of the gravest prob
lens that the people of this country
have undertaken to solve. and which
they must solve If justice is to pre-
vail.
considered independently Of all 9TH
er means of transportation, the im-
provement of the Mississippi river will
confer vast benefit upon the people
who live in the Mississippi valley. 1t
needs no argument to demonstrate
that a nayigable stream, extending
from ST. Paul to the Gulf of Mexico,
capable of carrying at all seasons, save
when nature closes 1t, the commerce.
that may be made tributary to it, -
of incalculable advantage to the men
who do business in this magnificent
empire, whether they use the highway
as an instrument of national or inter.
national traffic. AgriculturaIly, the
land thru which the upper Mississippi
river flows is and always will be mas.
ter of the world. There are other
fertile regions, great in extent and
prolific in their productions, but there
are none which produce so many
things necessary to modern civilized
life, and so abundantly and persistent-
ly, as does that territory, watered ana
drained by the Mississippi and Mis-.
souri, rivers.
1.-THE years Of the future will but
emphasize the prominence which this
territory holds in the products OF the
soil. 1t is therefore manifest that
whether we confine our thoughts to
the distribution of these products
among our own people, or enlarge It to
their distribution among other coun-
tries, this waterway which traverses
the whole empire of agricultural
wealth should be utilized.
1--WE, however, paint but half the
picture when we describe the immens-
ity of the traffic which arises from
agricult e. The overruling factor in
the fields of manufacturers-econ
of productions fast making Of this
enterprise the like of which will be
seen nowhere else in all tn country.
"The upper Mississippi river ought
to be crowded from shore to shore, not
with ships of war, but with ships OF
peace, not heavy with armor and ord
nance, but loaded to the guards with
the products Of labor intended for the
use and to promote the happiness OF
mankind. 1t matters not from what
point of view the subject Is examined.
it is clear that the waters OF the river
are needed in a great commerce which.
magnificent as it now appears, is but
the promise of it's immensely in the
years to come. With these eonclus-
ions, there can be no dispute. and they
imperatively demand the Improvement
of the river. the deepening of it's chan
nels, the removal of distractions. on
the part Of the general government,
unless the expenditure would be great
er than the value of the results Sc
cured.
II shall not venture even a conjec-
ture upon the cost OF improving the
river so that It will be the useful W.
terway that it should be. nor
tend to criticise the actiof ss
(conti uea on a..a psge.)