Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-09
THE RAILROAD SIDE

AD VAIL {
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were being Disseminated against by
| the fact that Des Moines, and other
points 1900 or 1900 miles from the At
lantic seaboard, were receiving rate
only twice as great as that granted to
them, although they were only 200 or
300 miles from the seaboard. They
would insist that the rates to these
places, and indeed to all places COM
peting with them, should be made pro-
portional according to distance. Any
other arrangement they would regard
as discrimination and 1t is difficult to
| see how the law could regard 1t in any
| other light.
OF course the Iowa farmer would
not be injured If the rate from the
Pennsylvania town to New York were
reduced proportionally to the rate
which he enjoys. But the government
tribunal could not compel the rail-
roads to make such reduction be-
cause they would give rate on the
short-haul traffic that clearly would
not pay the railroad for handling it.
IE other words. such a course would
amount to the confiscation of proper
ty, which is likewise forbidden by the
constitution. The only possible
method by which the two rates could
be equalized would involve an increase
| In the through rates from Iowa and
other ports of the west. If this in
| crease amounted to two cents bushel
on wheat or corn, 1t would mean that
the farmer would receive two cents a
bushel for his crop.
The advocates of government rate
making admit that the tendency would
be to adjust rates more or less exactly
to mileage basis as has been the case
In foreign countries where government
regulation prevails and in those states
which have commissions with the
power to fix rates. But they maintain
that the movement would be a gradual
one. Their opponents held, however,
would be compelled by law to make
this change and that 1t would come
about Immediately upon the enactment
! or the law, or at least as rapidly as
the commission could pass upon re
complaints that would pour in.
The possibility of such eonse-
Guence is of vast Importance to Iowa
Not only would 1t bring injury and
loss to her great railroad interests on
which the prosperity of many Of her
commercial centers, such as Des
4 Moines. largely depends, but it would
work still greater injury to her greater
interests In agriculture. Iowa is the
banner all round agricultural state OF
the country. She Is a great shipper OF
both grain and stock to the east and
4 to Europe. In 1908, the latest year for
has published complete figures. her
corn erop--second only to that of Illi-
nois-was worth over $87000,000 to
the growers. Her hay crop amounted
to over $30,ooo,oo0; her cat crop tc
s24,0o0,oo0; her wheat to nearly S.
\ 100000; her potatoes to a little less
than s7ooo,oo0, and her barley to up
ward of $4,000 900. AS Is we'll known
she Is an extensive grower of cattle
and hogs; her poultry and eggs are
sold on the market stalls of New York;
altogether she bears a very proud AND
notable part in feeding the nation and
the nations of Europe as well.
Practically all Iowa products that
go to market must travel greater OF
less distance-usually greater-bs
! rail. In 1908, Of Iowa's corn, oats ant
wheat alone. nearly 4o,ooo,o 900 bushels
worth on the farm over s12,5o0,0o0
We're shipped outside the country II
which they were grown. This Irac-
, tically means, of course, that they
We're shipped to eastern markets or t.
Europe. An increase of only two ane
half cents per bushel in the freigh
J rates on this grain would have cos
a million dollars.
1t Is of course to be expected tina
the farmers and shippers of the sea
board states would demand readjust
ment of transportation rates if thu
government undertook the task Of rat
making. They have seen their profit
cut down by the competition of tn
more productive west, assisted by tn
lowest freight rates ever establishe,
: in any country. They would not b
, able to supply the market entirely blu
: they could be sure Of high prices TO
what they had to sell and their inter
:, ests are sufficient to entitle them to b
4 heard. New York, for instance, ha
3 more milch cows and produce NOR
5 butter than Iowa and she has 100000
beef eao ooo cattle as against Iowa
t had a larger wheat crop than low
and grew 100000 bushels Of cor
y while Texas, another coast state, pro
9 duced over 140000000 bushels. All tn
products Of Iowa are produced in larg
y quantities in seaboard states and 1t
a not hard to guess the course of con
, duct of the shippers of these states
Q a weapon for the enforcement c
S freight rates more favorable to them
: selves We're put into their hands by tn
g adoption of government regulation. I
Z
$ sents an agricultural district in Penn
: sylvania, has indicated very clearl
what their demands would be.
when you establishe the princirl
that the government shall make
rate" said Mr.. Sibley. addressing hi
g colleagues In congress on the Town
r send rate bill, I'VE living in the cas-
e will not permit you, through govern
e ment operation, to charge us fift
e cents a hundred and at the same tim
Y allow a rate of forty cents hundre
Y from the Mississippi Valley in orde
e that you may export your corn. If
y have a 500-mile haul and you have
h 1000 mile haul, am going to deman
: a rate ene-fourth what you pay" An
he added. IF you had to pay the sam
a rate per hundred, living in the Missis
e sippi Valley or the Missouri Vale,
S that I have to pay from my town [
e the seaboard there would never be es
# ported again another bushel of whes
: or corn from this whole nation"
e The adoption of a mileage basis #
freight charges in this country. s
= Congressman Sibley indicates, woul