Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-10
Iowa Rai1road Commission No
Altogether Satisfied With
Present Conditions
SPECIAL RATES WITHDRAWN
Iowa Now Enjoys the Same Rate as
Those Outside the State, But 1t Is
Claimed tho Rate Is Too High-Com-
missioner ketchum Talks Of the Sit
uation.
Special to Tlmes-Republlcan.

Des Moines, Nov. 1O.-The Iowa rail-
road commission may not be thru with
the question of rates on the shipment
of cream to Chicago. The fact is the
commission is not altogether satisfied
with the Illinois Central and the other
railroads withdrawing their specially
low rate and would much rather they
had maintained the low rate and lower
ed the Iowa rate to make it conform
and just rate in proportion to the
longer haul.
The special rate was rate put In
from Iowa points to large cities out
side of Iowa. The rate on shipment
of a 100-pound can Of cream from Fort
Dodge TO Chicago was 40 cents, while
the freight rate on another can OF
cream of the same weight and carried
on the same train as far as Dubuque,
and there set off, was 40 cents, or 8
cents more than the rate for twice the
distance. This was clear discrimina-
ton in favor of the Chicago creamer-
les and as the same special rates APP
cream from Iowa points to ST Joseph
Kansas City, Omaha and other points,
the large creameries in the large cities
outside of Iowa had an advantage over
the Iowa creameries.
Dairy Commissioner H. r. Wright
took the matter up with the Iowa rail-
road commission. and also with the
railroads themselves. and called the at
tention to the discrimination The re-
suit was that the railroads withdrew
their special low rates to outside cities
and put in a higher rate. Under the
new schedule the rate to Chicago from
Fort Dodge Is 63 cents.
State Railroad Commissioner N. S.
ketchum was today asked concerning
the matter, whether the new schedules
were all satisfactory to all purposes.
and whether the commission would
drop the matter, and If they had been
advised of the change.
Yes, we have been advised by the
Illinois Central railroad of quite an
advance In freight rates on milk prod
ucts to points outside of Iowa-Chica-
go, Kansas City, st. Louis Omaha"
said Mr.. Ketchum. THE Illinois Cen
wa eAoiiS NSPftl tlIiGniIL ADVISES us CIlaI
Mr.. Wright, of the dairy commission.
requested that they withdraw the spe-
cial rates to all their large milk con-
Stunning customers. 1t has been the
custom of this board to obtain the
very lowest rates on milk and cream.
as we'll as on any other product raised
in Iowa."
The point In the matter that is open
20 discussion is whether 1t is better
to have a low rate to outside points
as well as to inside points in the in
terests of the farmer or an even rate
tho high which did cut out the dis
elimination.
For instance, with the advance ia
the rate to outside points the freight
schedule is adjusted so that there is no
discrimination between the outside
creamery and the creamery in the state
but the point is raised by some that
the advance in the rate to outside
cities cuts off the creameries in the
large cities, such as Chicago and KAN
sas City, from using Iowa milk and
cream, and leaves the Iowa farmer
with Iowa creameries as his only pos
sible customers. In other words it IS
charged that the change in rates that
has been made is in the interests of
the creameries but not in the inter-
ests Of the farmers who have milk
and cream to SELL The champions
of this idea hold that if the rate from
Fort Dodge to Dubuque had been
lowered so as to make it equitable ir
proportion to the Fort Dodge Chicago
rate instead of the Chicago rate be-
ing raised, the discrimination would
have been removed and the rate to
Chicago would still be low enough so
that it would be possible for Iowa far
mers to ship to Chicago and they
would have the creameries both inside
and outside the state as their possible
customers thus tending to keep the
price of milk and cream high.
While the railroad commission has
taken no action in the matter it is
quite possible that the matter may be
discussed and that the commission
may arrive at the conclusion that if a
railroad can carry 100-pound can
Of cream from Fort Dodge to Chicago
for 40 cents it ought to be able to car
nv a can of the same weight from Fort
Dodge to Dubuque for 80 cents or less.