Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-17
Movement For Better Railroad
Legislation Conducted by
Substantially Same Men
HISTORY OF THE AGITATION
1t Started With and Has Been Ad-
v.nced by Governor Larrabee and
His Supporters, Being Carried on BY
Governor cummins and His Support.
ers.
Special to Times Republican.

Special TO Times Republican.
Des Moines. Jan. 17.-The agitation
In congress over the enlarsing of the
commission and the freight rate agi-
tation has brought to mind something
Of the history Of railroad legislation
and the agitation for proper railroad
rates in this state. The first con-
spicuous agitation seems to be the
agitation and legislation during the ad-
ministration Of Governor Larrabee In
1883 when Governor Cummins was a
member of the Legislature and intro
duced a bill along the line of legisla-
ton for freight rates inside the state.
January %, 1888, there was a meeting
at Marshalltown of the wholesalers,
jobbers and manufacturers of that city
at which resolutions were adopted and
a committee appointed to come to Des
Moines and present the resolutions at
a meeting Of the manufacturers and
jobbers of the state. Hon. N. S.
Ketchum, now member OF the rail-
road commission, was n member Of
the committee to come to Des MOineS.
The resolutions recommended a law
prohibiting the charging of greater
rates per mile inside the state than
were charged from points outside In
or from points inside the state to
points outside.
At the meeting in Des Moines, jan
facturers endorsed the Cummins and
Catch bill. This agitation followed
the message of Governor Larrabce on
January 10 in which he recommended
s,lch radical legislation on the rail-
ROAD question. Starting with Cover
nor Larrabee all the principal legisla-
tion since that time that has been put
into effect in the interests of the peo-
pie has been advanced by Governor
Larrabee and his supporters and Cow
ernor Cummins and his supporters.
From the legislation of 1888 there is
jump to the Molsberry bill which
was in the interests Of the railroads
and was killed thru the veto Of Gov
ernor Culnmins. Then there is
jump to the Hubbard bill which was
merger proposition but was robbed
of it's Objectionable features when the
clause was inserted mot parallel and
competing" The clause was inserted
because Governor Cummins told the
frhmers of the measure he WOULD veto
it If it was not inserted.
Governor Larrabee recommended the
destruction of the pass system a 2-cent
passenger fare, a maximum freight
ra te prohibiting freight rates without
consent of railway commission, elec-
titn of commissioners by the people.
state and the election of the railway
commissioners recommended by Gov
e.'nor Larrabee have been adopted. The
a alti-pass bill comes UP at each session
and will come up again In 1906. The
recent public utterances of Governor
Cummins and the entire history Of the
movement for better railroad legisla-
ton has been conducted by substan-
TALLY the same men, from the begin
ling.
Superintendent Riggs has compiled
some information gathered on his re-
cent investigation of the consolidated
school question. He made his visit to
the schools unannounced and his iden-
t,ty was not known until he was about
to leave. In Lake township in Clay
county he found the average attend
snce is now 101 with an enrolment of
.16. This under the consolidated
schools. In 1903, under the old sys-
:.em the enrolment was 96, and aver
age attendance, 70; in 1902, enrolment
1O7. average attendance "a; 1901, en-
rolment 120, average attendance 55;
900, enrolment 1875. average attend
lnce 62. The day Mr.. Riggs visited
the school was a severe day. and yet
he attendance under the system Of
transporting the children in covered
buses was SO. About one-half Is saw
ed in the salaries to teachers, the total
ralaries for eight months under the cid
system being s1.650, and under the new
sS03.25. Reports were requested from
each of the patrons Of the school and
blanks with questions We're furnished.
These blanks are now arriving daily
1T the superintendent office and show
that a very great many who formerly
opposed the system of consolidation.
now have changed their opinion and
favor it. Various reasons are given.
Superintendent Riggs finds in his in
vestigation of the question that the
present law is defective in many ways
or the consolidation OF country schools
could be much facilitated. The law al
lows for consolidation of schools
where they are all in the sar1e town
ship, but there is no provision for the
consolidation of schools in adjoining
townships. The township as unit IS
believed by Superintendent Riggs to
be in most cases too large for the pur-
pose of consolidation. as the trips of
eight miles to and from school are too
long. and cause the pupils to start too
early and get home too late. These IN
fact are the chief objections from those
living In the consolidates districts. In
Quiries are daily reaching the SUPER