Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-09
Iowa Roads Experiment With
Rule Giving Competing
Points Real Competition
MAY TOUCH PASSENGER PHASE
The Prospects Are That interested
Roads VIII Soon Ask the Railroad
Commission For An Order Authoriz-
ing Them to Apply the Same Policy
to Passenger Traffic.
pecial to Times-Republican

/ Special to Times Republican,.
| Des Moines, Aug. 9.--The Iowa rail-
roads that have been trying the plan
OF having the long distance roads meet
competitive prices on freight between
stations in Iowa that are Joined by two
or more roads report that they are very
well satisfied with the results thus far
attained, and the prospect is that a.
no distant day they Will ask the rail-
road commission for an order author
ising them to apply the same policy to
ithe passenger business. The rule fol-
lows that OF the interstate commerce
commission. When roads compete be-
tween points the road that has the
longer line may make rate the
as the short line and this without dis
| turbing its rates at intermediate and
competing points. This rule gives
| competing points some real competi-
| ton. While some Of the roads have al
ready done this, on the quiet. the rule
| was never sanctioned by the state rail-
road commission until recently.
The railroads are feeling their way
| toward the matter of applying the rule
! to passenger rates" says Commissioner
| Dawson. They are not ready to say
that they will apply it there; but some
OF them are likely to do SO. The rail-
| road managers believe that it would be
4 good thing"
There are several hundred OF these
competing points in the state where
the rule would apply. The most SER
| ious obstacle to the rule would be the
complaint Of some persons who live
along the lines where the reduced rates
are made. But one thing which Is hav-
ing an eject Is the sharp competition OF
| the interurbans. They are getting bus
| mess in some places at the expense of
| the railroads, and the managers are
! looking to a method of putting a stop to
this.
The policy of retrenchment on rail-
roads IN Iowa is going on all the time,
and the number OF railroad employees is
being materially reduced, according to
| the railroad managers. The reports of
the companies last year which showed
reduced net profits on increased gross
receipts is responsible for the policy.
-
| A number of Des Moines men who
are living in Albuquerque, N. NJ, have
formed club for the purpose of induc-
| ing other Iowa men to go to that coun-
try. and especially for the purpose OF
entlcing health seekers to the terri
tory.
John Ham,ll. the Des Moines man
who Is in the insane ward at Anamosa
for the killing of Conductor Redpath
about ten years ago, and who at one
time was under sentence Of death, is no
longer In the serious mental condition
| in which he was at the time he went
to Anamosa. He was a mental wreck
and it was believed he would not
live long. He is now able to work con-
tinually and is employed in the shop,
making butter tubs. He has not re-
covered as nearly as has j. w. Stone.
but is said to be improving all the time.
He is under life sentence and cannot
be released even should he recover full
| ly. His alleged accomplice, George
yveems, is at Fort Madison II is now
known that Hamill Is the one who fir
ed the fatal shot and he alone was al
! der.
| The Iowa supreme court is asked to
decide who is responsible when a farm
| lad drinks sulphuric acid at cream
cry under the impression that it is but
termilk. aud dies from the drink. The
| case of Henry F. Burk VS.. Creamery
| Package Manufacturing Company of
Waterloo, has just got to the supreme
court. Burk secured Judgment for
l$1,150 against the company for the
death of his son. The company had
sold to F. A. Reidel, who operates a
creamery at Crane Creek, Blackhawk
county, quantity Of sulphuric acid
which was placed in a jug and left by
| Reide.l on the platform at the cream
cry. Young Burk delivered milk, and
| seeing the jug, which he supposed con-
tanned buttermilk, took a drink OF the
acid He died the next day In terrible
| agony Hts father sued the company
which sold the acid. and on the ground
that 1t was negligent in not labelling the
acid as poison recovered the verdict in
dicated.
Gen. Adna r. Chaffee, high man in
the United States army, and head of
the war board, is expected in Des
Moines in few days to ofncially in
spect the post at Fort Des Moines.
Lieut.. Col Thomas is in charge OF the
post as commandant There will be
drills and probably some social func-
tons. as Gen Chaffee is accompanied
by quite party OF persons. The cav
a Try company here Is getting the horses
for it's use but heretofore has been un-
mounted.
Auditor Carroll Will secure state
1nent from the Iowa banks as to their
condition August 4. 1t Is expected
that this report will show that right
along during the summer the bank de-
posits have been increasing steadily.
and that now they are higher than
ever before.