Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-02-10

| pies, vet AIR. Stone couldn't make it pay.
tie mortgaged II, the mortgage was fore
| closed. he was unable to redeem, and ne
lost everything. What was the matter
with the apple business In Iowa.
More Hardships.
Listen to these figures from w. M. Bonn
berger of the Southwest Iowa Horticul-
tural society. and it will be plain enough.
Mr.. Stone shipped his apples from Glen
70 ship Il IN 'e earl osm 10 lots eeh 10 alliance pai l@ pI Meb'.
400 miles; but his New York competitor
was able to ship from Rochester, ~. u.
to Sioux Falls, s; D.. ! sss miles for %
lance, for 80 per cent OF the rate.
From Council Bluffs. the most important
apple shipping point in Iowa. TO upper Da-
kota and Minnesota points, carload rates
are 40 TO so cents per 100 pounds; distances.
$50 to 400 miles. From Rochester, N. ",
10 the same destinations. rates are 80 to
40 cents; distances. Loo TO Loo miles.
Suppose the Iowa apple grower tries
competition with Michigan. The rate from
the Michigan apple country to these same
Minnesota and Dakota points is 40 TO 6O
cents-the same as from low But the
distance from Michigan is twice that from
Iowa. The Michigan grower Is placed
on an exac equality in territory shat
ought to belong absolutely to Iowa.
Here's another situation. Suppose a
shipper at Rochester, n. X, sends a car
of apples TO Sioux Falls at the 4S-cent
rate. but on arrival at Sioux Falls 1t Is
decided TO reship them to Bismarck. N. ID.
He can reship for "a cents per 100 pounds,
the distance being 400 miles; but TO rebill
a carload at Council Bluffs. and send II TO
McCook, Neb., 2SS miles. costs As cents per
100 pounds This is a specific case or dis
elimination against a great apple shipping
point, In favor of a point that ships no
apples.
competing Will the Missouri apple crop.
He finds the rate from Kansas City to
McCook, Neb., Alb miles, is exactly the
same as from Omaha to McCook, 23
miles. That is. southwest Iowa has no
advantage over Missouri, though IL is 100
miles nearer.
Finally, turn to the west and see how
the Iowa apple grower can compete with
the Colorado shipper OF APPS. From
Peoria, Delta. Montrose and C,D-and juno
ton. all In Colorado. to Omaha and Coun-
ell Bluffs, over three railroads, the rate
is GO cents: distance. $50 miles. From
Council Bluffs. shipping westward, the CO.
cent point is reached when you are about
half way across Nebraska.
Interstate rates, going and coming, are
all manipulated TO he disadvantage OF
Iowa, and Iowa can't help herself. There
lis nothing new in this statement, for peo-
pic VINO have any shipping to do In COM
petition have known it for many years.
But the frank confession that the rail-
roads We're furnishing iowa by manipulate
ing these rates against the state, was not
made Till very recently. Doubtless you
have all read about the interesting pamph-
let which the Wisconsin railroad lobby
published during the recent campaign on
this subject, Governor LaF'ollette was de-
manding the creation of q railroad COM
mission, similar 10 Iowa's. with mower to
fix and enforce a schedule of maximum
J rates. 1t was up 10 the railroads TO show
the people that this was a bad thing. and
they proceeded to show 1t by telling what
they had been doing to Iowa.
they admitted that many state rates
We're lower in Iowa than for like distances
in Wisconsin: but. they said, look at the
interstate rates, which are far more inn
portant to a state. Here you find that for
the same distances, and on the same COM
Wisconsin, Numerous specific rates were
quoted, comparing lows and Wisconsin
tolls; and they demonstrated that what
the railroads claimed was true. Iowa was
being punished for having a railroad COM
mission and a maximum schedule OF rates.
the Wisconsin pamphlet proceeded 70
show that Iowa has less Industrial de-
velopment than Wisconsin; that on this
account Iowa must ship out of the state
practically everything il produces. at the
high interstate rates. and must ship into
the state practically all it consumes, also
at high interstate rates.
That pamphlet nay not have been in
tended for Iowa consumption, but it told
the truth, and the truth ought to arouse
the people of Iowa. 1t is the confession
that the things we all know are con-
stantly done to the disadvantage ofgIowa,
are done by way OF punishment Of the
state. Iowa IS fruit for its railroads. 1t
lis the most thoroughly victimized com
munity in the country in the matter OF
freight rates. The legions OF the Caesars
never dreamed of holding the Roman
provinces In such q thralldom as that in
which industrial Iowa is held by the trans
portation trust.
President Answers Question.
What do we propose TO do about ito The
president Of the United States answered
I that question In his message to congress.
We are used to hearing railroad officials
insist that the making of rates is too deli
function ever to be performed by any gov
inner commission. Yet they used to
say 1t would bankrupt all the roads in
! Iowa Ii an Iowa commission made rates,
Yet the Iowa roads nave been more pros
porous under commission rates than they
ever dreamed of being previously. Any
man who will study the railroad rate sit
uation will be forced TO conclude that no
commission could make ii much worse
than 1t now is. The demand for govern
ment control of rates comes from every
claims she is being Disseminated against
and wants the government to take over
the supervision of rates. st. Louis claims
the same: so does Kansas City, Mime
apolis. Baltimore. Cincinnati. New York.
every commercial center complains OF
present conditions; all favor giving the
commission the power to fix rates. Who
/ opposes hS railroad manager AMI
the dominating factors in legislation at
7 Washington.
Iowa's interest is TO nave an effective
bill passed. carrying out the recommen-
dations of the presidents message. Iowa's
duty is TO see hat no congressman from
Iowa who lives in a district controlled by
the Northern Securities company and hap
pens to be chairman of the house commit
tee on interstate m is permitted
to sell the country a gold brick such as
the Hepburn bill is. hat Iowa. with the
experience she has had with railroad dis
elimination, and with the supreme in
terest she has III seeing the presidents
recommendation enacted into law. should
furnish the congressman whose name is
attached to such a bill as that drafted
by CONGRESSMAN Hepburn, is an indict-
ment of the sense and the intelligence Of
the state which i wish might be quashed
by the next election in the Eighth dis
trict. But II probably win not be. The
district will ~re-elect Its congressman with
out reference to whether he is serving
Iowa or the Northern Securities company.
And that illustrates the most serious
thing that's the matter with Iowa.
Fatal Voyage Of an Airship.
Harper's Weekly: The principal DIFF
! f~cuIties of dfripibI6 haItooripp my 90