Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-31
PASSES MEASURE TO COMPEL
ANNUAL PAYMENT OF IN.
sURANcE DIVIDENDS
THE DISTANCE TARIFF
Important Question as to Freight
Rates on Iowa Railroads is Now
Pending in the Iowa Assembly--Ad.
vantases Equal to All Roads.

vantases Equal to All Roads.
ESPECIAL coRREsPoNDENCE1
Des Moines Bureau Of Courier.
Des MoInes, March 80.
The house today passed the Conn
Dill to require life insurance comma.
MES to distribute their dividends an.
nually. 0n'
me senate passed a. bill to appro-
pirate $4,000 for a statue Of the late
Governor Kirkwood in the hall Of
hame at Washington. The appropria.
.ions committees decided to favor
S445,5oO Tor the state institutions I'm.
uer the board Of control
Important Railroad Question,
Fropably the most important piece
OF railroad legislation at this session
ol tne assembly is now pending.
u is an amendment to the "short
maui clause OF the present law
me law as it stands provides that
al freight and passenger charges shall
pc on the mileage basis without vari-
ation: For instance, the passenger
rate is three cents mile and 1t costs
% 10 travel 100 miles and $3.03 to tray-
el lOl miles. There is no variation to
the rule
AS a result the short line between
any point gets all of the freight and
passenger business, unless the law be
vloiased, rebates given or something OF
that character. S
The proposed statute will give the
railroads running between competing
points the chance to charge eeual
rates without respect to difference. For
instance, 1t Is much shorter distance
by the Great Western from Des Moines
to Marshalltown, than it is by the
Northwestern. The old law gave the
Great Western all O. .sinass he
tween the two Pot IN this accoY, y,
The new law II VII 4 IN hermit the NortF.,
western to make the same rate be- "a.
tween Des Moines and Marshalltown
that the Great Western makes This
is only sample of the thousands Of
similar instances in the state as most
every town now is competing point.
Advantages Are Equal.
The railroads do not object to the
measure because 1t is as good for one
as for another Every road is the
long line between some competing
points, SO that they gain as much ad.
.r I 81
The interests of the people are am
ply protected, also, by the addition to
the statute of provision which pro.
vides that when rates between com.
peting points are reduced under the
new law, none of the points on the
lines between such, competing points
shall be required to pay higher rate
than that charged between the points
competing. For instance the rate will
be reduced for all places between these
points which formerly have paid more
than the short line rate between them,
This is to be the distinct advantage OF
the people.
The Insurance Commissioners.
Speculation continues as to who
will be the insurance commissioners
of the legislature.
The house yesterday passed the
Warren bill without amendment and
without opposition. The bill, un.
doubtedly, will be signed by the gov
ernor, for it will do no injury to the
legitimate insurance business OF the
state.
Senator Whipple is much compli.
mented on the success of his plan In
this respect and he and Senator War.
rem divide the credit for the adjust.
ment of the difficulty relating to the
insurance situation.
Under the Warren act there will be
no investigation Of companies such
as was conducted by the New York
Armstrong Hughes inquiry. There Is
but $500 appropriated for all the ex.
penses Of the commission and the act
does not authorize the commission to
make such an inquiry as made in
New York. 1t can make such inqui-
ries as to insurance methods and bust.
ness as to warrant 1t in recommend.
ing new laws on the subject. But as
for inquiry into the question of how
much salaries any one company pays
to its officers and that sort Of thing,
the commission will have none Of It
to do. There are five members who
get $40 day each and a secretary and
stenographer must be hired, also.
1t will take $1,500 for a secretary
and at least $1,000 for stenographers
and clerks and another 81 900 for the
expenses Of travelling, summoning and
paying witnesses, ETC., which will
leave perhaps $4,000 or $4,000 for per
diem for the commission which, there
fore, cannot be in session more than
sixty days at $50 day, and expenses.
Indeed it will be in session good
deal less than that.
Leon Brown.