Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-27
New Joint Freight Law Places
Towns on Same Basis as Large
Competing Points
COMMISSION HAS a BIG TASK
Meet. Soon to Work Out Schedules in
Compliance With Statute Recently
Enacted-Most Important Under
sakins Since Commission Was Gre
ated-EauaIties in Present Rates.
pecial to Times R Republican.

Special 10
Des Moines. April 21--When the rail-
road commission meets May s to take
up the joint freight rate problem
placed OH it's shoulders by the legisla-
ture it meets only to comply with the
law, which requires that within ten
days after the joint freight bill be-
comes effective the commission should
fix date not more. than thirty days
distant for beginning the task of put
ting in joint freight schedules. When
the commission meets May 8 it will
outline somewhat the plan on which it
will start to work cp the problem and
will then adjourn until May %, at
which time it will begin hearings and
will start to work on the matter in
earnest.
Some years ago the railroad conf
mission put in a joint freight rate
schedule and it, was knocked out by
the railroads who carried the matter
to the supreme court. The court
knocked out the law because of tech
nicality, the railroad commission hav-
ing failed to give the requisite num-
Der of days notice to the railroads.
But at the same time there was gem
eral impression from the opinion of the
supreme court that 1t believed the law
to be unconstitutional, tho this was
not formally passed upon at the time.
The new joint freight rate law pro-
vides a means whereby the small city
Of the state with but one or two rail-
roads, will be just Els we'll off as the big
city with several railroads. The joint
rate bill will, it is claimed, work so1ne-
what to the detriment of the big cities
and the advantage Of the smaller ones,
but will be in the interests of all the
people. 1t provides that: Every
owner or consignor Of freight to be
transported by railway from any point
within this state to any other point
within this state shall have the right
to require that the same shall be trans
ported over two or more connecting
lines of railway, to be transferred at
the connecting point or points
without change Of car or cars
if in carload lots, and with
or without change Of car or cars
If in less than carload lots, whenever
the distance from the place OF ship
ment to destination, both being within
the state, is less over two or more
connecting lines Of railway than it is
over a single line of railway, or where
the initial line does not reach the place
of destination; and it shall be the duty,
upon the request of any such owner
or consignor OF freight, made to the
Initial company, of such railway COM
panies whose lines SO connect, to trans
port the freight without change of car
or cars if the shipment be in a carload
lot or lots, and with change of car or
cars IL 1t be in less than carload lots,
from the place of shipment to the des-
tination, whenever the distance from
the place of shipment to destination
both being within this state, is less
than the distance over single line,
or when the initial line does not reach
the point Of destination, for reason
able joint thru rate. This section shaH
apply to interurban railways and their
connection with ordinary steam rail-
ways"
The law provides that the railroad
commissioners shall within ten days
after the law takes effect fix date for
beginning the preparation Of the sched-
ule of joint rates and, that this date
shall not be more than thirty days dis
tant. It provides that they shall notify
every railroad entering the state and
shall give similar notice to whom 1t
NAV concern" but does not provide for
the publication of this notice In the
newspapers or by any other method.
1t provides that the commission shall
use all due diligence in getting the
Joint schedule into force and gives the
following general lines on which the
commission must work:
cat the end of the investigation,
which shall be carried on with all due
diligence, the said board of railroad
commissioners shall make and publish
a schedule of joint thru railway rates
for such traffic and on such routes az
in it's judgment the fair and reasonable
conduct of business requires shall be
done by carriage over two or more lines
of railway, and will promote the in
-terest of the people OF this state. In
the making thereof, and in changing,
revising or adding to the same, the
board shall be governed as nearly as
may be by the preceding sections of
this chapter, and shall take into COM
sheraton, among other things, the
rates established for shipments within
this state for like distances over single
lines, the rates charged by the railway
companies operating such connecting
lines for joint interstate shipments, and
the increased cost, II any, of a joint
thru shipment as compared with g.
shipment over a single line for like
distances. In establishing such rates
for shipments in less than carload lots,
in cases where at the connecting point
or points in the line of shipment the
connecting railways have not and are
not required to have a common station
or stopping place for loading or I'M
loading freight, the board shall make
such lawful regulation as in it's judg
ment will be fair and just respecting
the transporta ton Of such freight from
the usual unloading place of one rail
way to the usual loading place of the
other. The joint thru rates thus es-
tablished shall be promulgated by
mailing printed copy thereof to each
railway company affected thereby. and
shall go into effect within ten days af-
ter they are So promulgated: and from
and after that time an official printed
schedule thereof shall be prima facie
evidence. in all the courts of this state,
10 80, ta.. ~ Hvo5 inc