Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-22
Iowa Commission May Follow
Example of Railways and
Make Rates Same
HEARING ON QUESTION NOW ON
May Go Back to Former Agreement
Reached Years Ago, But Which the
Courts Knocked Out on a Technical
ity Would Put Joint Rates on In.
terstate Basis-The Rate Situation.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special TO I1meS- S-hepuOlcdn.
Des Moines, May 22-Following the
example of the railroads rather than
their advice the state railroad COM
mission as result of Its Investigations
into the Joint rate problem may order
that the joint rate shall be the same
as the rate for single shipment wouiu
be. The hearing on the question OF
making schedule Of joint rates was
begun by the commission today, hav-
ing been adjourned over from May 8.
1t is learned that the Chicago Great
Western has put in joint rate over '1ts
lines to Colfax. Its order to it's agents
is to add six miles to the distance to
Valeria and make the rate accordingly.
The rate is over the Great Western to
Valeria and from Valeria to Colfax
over the Colfax & Northern. It is just
six miles from Valeria to Colfax. 1t is
claimed that in the interstate rates the
railroads are making the rate as tho it
was over a single line of railroad.
The advice of the railroads to the
railroad commission, or rather their Of
fer and suggestion, was that the Iowa
joint schedule be 80 per cent of the two
locals. The state manufacturers as
sociation finally Joined In the sugges-
'tion and expressed the idea that 1t
would be satisfied with such an pr
rarigement. It is understood that the
Joint rate put in by the railroad cora
mission when Frank T. Campbell was
a member of the commds lon and which
was knocked out by the supreme court
because the railroad ,commission did
not give the correct number Of days
notice preceding the hearing, was based
on so per cent Of the two locals.
without joint rate 1T now costs 80
cent to ship 100 pounds of freight of the
first class over two railroads when twell-
ty-five miles is on one road and seven
ty-five miles is on another. The dis
tance tariff rate in Iowa for a. twenty
five mile shipment over a single line is
II cents, and for seventy-fve miles %
cents. making total Of 80 cents for
100 miles. The railroads suggest that
The joint rate be 80 per cent Of that
amount, which would Zoe $.312. Eut
the distance rate for 100 miles over one
line of railroad is but "a cents. This
is in fact what the Great Western is
doing for Colfax, and it is what it is
claimed the railroads are doing on in
terstate shipments from Chicago and
other points. They are making the
rate as tho it were all one line Of rail-
road over which the shipment is being
made. There are very few joint rate
agreements between the railroads in-
side the state of Iowa.
The shippers before the railroad
commission today ask that the joint
rate be the distance tariff, as tho on
q, straight line, the railroad to absorb
the transfer charges. The railroads
say this is equitable and argue against
blanket rate. They want the COM
mission to post only the specific rate,
this fort specific distances between
particular cities, or for particular job
bing centers. The hearing this morn
ing was somewhat Informal. A more
formal hearing was begun at 1880.
When extensive arguments were be-
gun thirty or forty railroad men were
present and as many shippers. Sena-
tor Jamison Of Page, author of the law,
argued against specific rates and
agreed with all shippers that the rate
should be the Iowa distance tariff, as
tho on straight line, the railroads to
absorb the transfer charges. They
claim the railroads do this now in in
terstate shipments