Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-08-08
Commissioner ketchum Urges
Railroads to Have Ware
house Capacity Increased
BIG GRAIN CROP TO HANDLE
Investigation of the Facilities of the
Elevators Shows Many of the Old
Elevators Are Too Small in Capacity
For the Increase in the Amount Of
Grain Raised.
to rimes-Republican.

| Special to Tmes-Republican
| ling of the grain of the northern and
northwestern part of Iowa is a ques-
| ton of elevator capacity, is the belief
of State Railroad Commissioner n. S.
Ketchum who has just concluded an
investigation of the subject and the
facts that he has succeeded in laying
bare will in all probability have a
great deal to do with disposng of the
reciprocal demurrage bill when 1t is to
be presented at the next session of the
legislature.
Prospective investors in elevators
have complained to the railroad COM
mission that the railroads have refus-
ed sites for elevators. In several in
stances it has been discovered that the
reason for the railroad refusing
ground for the site is that there are
three or four elevators in the town al
ready. An investigation made by Mr..
ketchum disclosed that the three or
four elevators together had capacity
of but 10000 or 10000 bushels where
the community should have elevator
capacity of 100000 bushels at least.
Finding this true in some instances
Mr. ketchum has tray eled extensively
| thru the northern and northwestern
part of the state and made personal
investigation. His discovery is a
| woeful lack of elevator capacity In the
great grain regions of the northern
and northwestern part of the state.
According to Mr.. Ketchum the number
of elevators is matter Of no consid-
Grafton; the capacity Of the elevators
is every consideration. He has called
the attention of the railroads to this
fact and an effort will be made by the
railroad commission to rectify the
wrongs by inducing the railroads to
cause bigger elevators to be erected.
The question of the shortage OF cars
turnout the northern part of the state
it is believed is wholly traceable to
this lack of elevator capacity. There
are elevators sprinkled all over the
northern part of the state that have
capacity Of 10000, which means that the
produce from a few farms fills the ele-
vator and after that it is question
practically of loading direct to the
cars. Cities of southern Iowa cores
ponding in size to those of the north
ern part of the state where there is an
elevator capacity of but 10000 BUSH
els, have an elevator capacity of $780,,
600 bushels and more, and from such
cities there is no complaint of the
shortage of cars.
Commissioner Ketchum has called
the attention of the management of
every railroad that passes thru the
northern part of the state to this in
adequate capacity. Railroads now have
that does not have a capacity of at
least $4,000 bushels. Mr.. Ketchum has
recommended that all the old elevator
owners be required to increase the ca
pacity of their elevators to this min
imum size. There are now many ele-
vators with but from 5000 to 10000
bushels. The fast settling of the nor
thern part of the state has outgrown
the capacity of the elevators.
A number of railroad officials have
already written to the commission adj
hitting the conditions and promising
that in leasing ground for new elevat-
ors and in releasing sites for elevators
vators will be required to increase the
size to the minimum. Elevator men
in the northern part of the state have
been in the habit, as soon as their lit
tie elevators were filled and they could