Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-11-13
w.. 49,
-oES MOINES LETTER 60
Isems Interest From Our coerespondent at 9Nx888
the State Capital. ~ 1SfH9SB8g

Complain OF Railroad Rates.
Des Moines.-That Des Moines is
Disseminated against as livestock
market in favor of Chicago packers
and that this city is deprived in part
OF the advantages that it should legit-
lmately enjoy by: virtue- of its loca-
ton in the heart of the greatest hog
raising state in the country, is one Of
the facts which have come to light in
connection with the damage suit
brought against the Rock Island road
by the Agar Packing company.
1t Is pointed out that on hog ship
ments consigned to Chicago the same
rate applies from a point few miles
west of Marshalltown all the way to
the Missouri river. That is, the rate
on hogs to Chicago from Des Moines
IS ~ cents a hundred, while a shipper
at Council Bluffs or Atlantic enjoys,
the same identical rate. Meanwhile
on local shipments from Atlantic, say
70 Des Moines, the rate ID iO.48 cents
q hundred.
IN order to make it clear how this
condition of rates constitutes dis
elimination against Des Moines, 1t
must be borne in mind that the Agar
. Packlng company, in buying hogs for
me local packing plant, must pay the
Enicage market price, deducting the
dliference between the amount OF
freight from the original shipping
point to Chicago and the. freight to
Des Moines. When, as now. the
freight TO Chicago from points as far
west as Council Bluffs is the same
as from Des Moines, there is no less
incentive to ship to Des Moines than
there would be II the rate Increased
IN proportion to the greater distance
Il the freight from Council Bluffs to
Chicago were higher than from Des
Moines to Chicago, there would be so
much more Of margin of freight
which the shipper would save by rout-
Ing his stock to Des Moines instead
of to Chicago. The Agar Packing
company would then be il better no
sitionr te aompste With Chicago buy
eIs.
For instance, when the Chicago hog
market is $6.15 a hundred pounds, i.
Q. 9. Chicago, the Agar Backing COM
panE Will be able to get hogs loF $S.Vu
owing to the difference in freight, II
he dfHerenee in freight were still
greater, hogs could be bought on the
local market from western Iowa on
relatively better terms than the Chi.
cago market, and Des Moines would
derive the advantage to which it is
entitled legitimately ny virtue OF its
location. The fiat rate now in effect
encourages through shipments to Chi
cago.
The shipper at Atlahtje eau land his
hogs in Ghieagdi ror % cents s hun
dred. 10 ship to Des Moines would
cost him l9.4S cents a hundred. Fhus
the rate to pes MeiAes is half the
lrate TO Chicago. although the mileage
Is only about enefourth al great.
"This matter In which the new rate
law may prove of advantage to Des
Moines," said w. G. Agar, of the Agar
Packing company. "Of course. the
railroads claim that diElaion points
are asGsssapy In fixing rates; but in
this case we have arguments to show
that the manner in which the division
points are fixed constitute discrimin.
alton against Des Moines.i and }hat
sl,iss atty Ia consequence does not re.
talVe the full benefit to which 1t is
entitled by virtue of its location.
believe there is warrant in this eandi
ton OF rates for intervention on the
part OF the Interstate commerce com.
| mission
Does Coal Trust Exist?
Charges ~ the effect that q goal
trust ia IN active existence ip Des
Moines have been placed In the hands
/ of County Attorney Jesse Miller, and
| as a result, coal operators win have
Their business probed to the very
foundation by the grand jury next
month. Some evidence that such q
Z trust does exist has already been Civ
en- Mr.. Miller The investigation by
he grand jury will be made as a re
suit of the boost in the pricesAat ifoai
reesntly. About two weeks coal oper
ators in Des Moines announced that
the price of coal would be lifted from
s.. per Ton to $3.50 per ton, As 8
reason, the operators gave out thai
an Increased demand had warranted
such a rise In quotations. At Omaha
over sixty coal dealers were recent;
prosecuted and found guilty under the
Nebraska antitrust law for operating
coal trust in Omaha.
+; .,sS-.
Fedterd Gets Pay:
State Binder Howard Teifard viii
get his $1,000 for official register,
bound outside OF the state, SO far al
John Staley is concerned. Staiey with
drew the injunction suit starfc..
against Tedfera sac SseFetarx' {,
STATE AIartiH te prevent Tedfarsl iron
being paid for official registers be
cause the binding was done AT Chi
cago. The stipulation provides. how
ever, that throughout the rema!nde