Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-31
Companies Next on the List
For a Big Shock in State
Of Iowa
COMMISSION HAS PoWER'
viii Exercise Its Right to Regulate
Rates-Rusiness Abou. as Near a
Trust as ble-Discrimination in
Favor Of Larger Cities - Entire
sehedule of Rates to Be Readjusted.
to Times-Republican.

Special to meS-Republican.
Des Moines, May 31.-The express
companies are in for the biggest and
best shaking up in Iowa in all their
history Under a new law soon to go
into effect the state thru the rail-
road commission, has the power to
regulate rates in the state, and this
power will be exercised.
Already large number of COM
plants have been filed with the COM
mission as to determinations and in
equalities in express rates within the
state The people are just getting on
to the fact that express rates are sub
ject to control and regulation. 1t is
anticipated that complaints will in
crease and gradually the commission
will acquire enough evidence so that
it will be able to act intelligently ON
the subject.
The other day the railroad COM
mission received complaint to the
effect that the rate to Ames on a
package is 10 cents higher from Mar
ishalltown than from Des Moines, the
distance being the same. The commits
sion will informally take it up with
one Bradley who has an office in New
York ard who fixes all express rates
in Iowa. for all the companies. 1t
probably can be adjusted without much
trouble.
1t develops that the express busi-
ness is about as completely tied up
in trust as anything can be. All
rates for all companies are made by
Bradley. The companies maintain sep
arate offices and appear to be. in COM
petition, but In rate matters Bradley
is the whole thing. so far as the max
ing out of rate sheets is concerned.
But as a matter Of fact it has been
discovered that rates are not closely
adhered to- and sometimes the charge
for the same service differs greatly as
between merchant and farmer or
between different classes of customers.
Nobody is ever able to find out for
himself just what the rate is. Great
discretion is lodged with agents.
, Again it has been found out that
the rate from city like Des Moines
is generally less than from a smaller
city of the state. the discrimination
being for the purpose of concentrating
business in the larger centers. The
railroad commission cannot UNDER
stand why there should be any such
discrimination and in due time it will
be wiped out. At present the COM
mission will confine itself to adjust
ment Of all complaints but as soon as
it is possible to do SO will engage IN
readjusting the entire express rate
matter.
Information from Pisgah, Harrison
county, is to the effect that respons1-
bility for the death Of a woman and
three children as the result of gaso-
line explosion has been placed on the
Standard OIL Company and the in
spector Chief Inspector H. M. Pickle
of this city stated last night that ne
knew nothing Of the case.
"Often times said he, gasoline and
Kerosene are mixed accidentally, and
in that way accidents occur. Then
there are merchants who buy oil from
Seers. Roebuck & Co. and other con-
cerns dealing it out without notifying
the Inspector To this source we
sometimes trace accidents AS to the
occurrence in Harrison county. have
no informa ton whatever"
The merchant who was accused OF
selling gasoline for kerosene is A. L.
Strong, of Pisgah. He states that the
fluids had not been properly tested by
the state inspector.