Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12
both ways. and the consequent
Hraf1hf nharuo Tho naonln of Iauo

, freight charge. The people of low
need rates SO that, So far as poss
BILE, market will be afforded With
our own state, by the encouragement
! of home manufacturers, SO that thi
I long double haul will be avoide,
; That the Iowa freight rates are higl
er than a great many of the otne
states is fact admitted, and need
no proof. And these ra,es. in larg
measure, are the same as they hav
been for twenty years. That thes
rates are higher than the interstat
rates, is a ma ter clearly proven
Unaer this discrimination, the man
ufacturing industries of Iowa, in plac
Of increasing as in most of the siste
states. it is said, have largely de
creased. AS illustrating the fact
desire to make plain, will call atten
ton to one of the Iowa products witt
which l am somewhat familiar, tina
of coal. The field in which Center
vile coal mines are situated i.
known as the Block coal field.
There is no more up.to-date, enter
prising class of business men any
where in the state than the coal oper
ators OF this district, neither is there
a more honest and Industrious class
of laborers than those who work III
the mines. The operators are anx
ious to operate their mines and the
miners are willing to work, and yet
for large part of the year the
mines of this field are practically
compened to suspend operations be-
cause of the rate charged them for
the shipment of their product And
bear in mind, also, That this is a
product that ought to find market
largely within the borders of our own
state. The interstate tate per ton
on lump coal from Mendoza, Mo-, via
the Burlington to Council Bluffs, 226
miles, is $1.20. Now, Mendoza is
just ov'r the line in Missouri, and
has the benefit of an interstate rate
Cincinnati. in my own county, 222
miles from Council Bluffs, has to pay
for every ton of lump coal shipped
to Council Bluffs as fixed by the Iowa
distance tariff, $1.36 per ton. Bre-
yier, Mo-, to Council Bluffs, Iowa, a
distance Of 258 miles, the rate per
ton on lump coal is Sl.3O; from Cen
terville to Council Bluffs, 205 miles,
the rate per ton for lump coal is
$l32. Now, it should be borne in
mind that Missouri and Illinois are
Two of the strongest competitors OF
our Iowa coal operators. From East
st. Louis to Red Oak, Iowa. a dis.
lance of 404 miles, the rate per ton
is $2.OO; from Centerville to Red
Oak, distance of 1854 miles, the rate
per ton is $1.16h, higher relative
rate than the one from st. Louis to
Red Oak. The rate from East st.
Louis to Council Bluffs, a distance of
l51 mines, is $3.50; from Centerville
to Council Bluffs, a distance of go
miles, SLIP per ION. From the above
Illustration, it can be easily seen
that the Iowa distance tariff by which
our coal operators are governed in
shipping entirely to Iowa is relatively
higher than the shipments governed
by the interstate rate. II time per-
mitted, many illustrations relative
to this same product might be given.
The iact that the Missouri and Iii.
nois Goals are produced at the mine
for about one-half of the cost of the
coal In the district to which | have
referred, together with the advan-
tages In proportion to the length OF
the haul that they enjoy by reason
of the Interstate rate, permits TEN
In many instances to drive from the
market in Iowa one of the states
own products. II the Iowa rate was
lowered. it would result in largely
increased production of our own coal
and a cheaper rate to the consumer
in the other parts of the state. Some
adjustment, at least, ought to be made
between the two rates SO that our
own product would not be discriml-
mated against as it is. The same
plank of our platform holds that
through billing anywhere in the state
should be allowed under our state
laws. This, as in the other, is illus.
trated by our coal product The rate
from Centerville to Eagle Grove, is
SEC to Clifford, under local rate,
and GUc to Eagle Grove, another To-
cal rate, or in all $1.46. If the oper.
ators could Snip coal through with.
out re-billing from Centerville to Ea-
gle Grove, even under the present
Iowa distance tariff, the rate would
be but $1.25l2 per ton. | have no
doubt that the same things | have
shown in reference to lowa's largest
mineral product. and in which my
own county stands third, with only
Polk and Monroe ahead of it, Is also
true of any shipments OF the products
of the farmers when shipped to
points within the state, and would
also be true of any of Iowas manu-
featured products when shipped en-
tirely within tne state. And yet ~
this respect, we have evidently but
little to expect from my distinguished
opponent, for he has already express
sed himself on the question of the
interstate rate by virtually saying
that Iowa's thirty million dollars OF
dairy products are now enjoying an
interstate rate less than that to which
they are entitled. For when a wit
ness before the interstate commerce
committee of the senate, in answer to
the question of the chairman, he
said; Il think our people 60 to the
Eastern markets with butter and eggs
upon rate to which they are not
entitled with any fair adjustment"
If the Governors opinion is thus so
firmly fixed as to the interstate rate
and its reasonableness in one of
lowa's largest products, what hope
have we to expect in reference TO
this important matter ON the rates
wholly within the state? Especially
in view of the fact of the veto to
which l have referred, refusing to
the longer line the right to compete
between two given points with the
shorter line, and thus giving the ship
per the benefit of his choice as to
the lines of his shipment; and alleg-
ing as one of his reasons for the veto
that 1t would compel the very thing
for which we are contending-a re,
adjustment of the freight rates.
There is one principle in state gov.