Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-08
Present Railway Commissioners
May Enter Contest For Repub-
lican Nomination
POWER in FIRST DISTRICT
Palmer Popular Veteran and Good
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Court Up
holds Iowa Law Requiring Expen-
diture Of City Road Taxes Within
Corporate Linits-coal Rates Lower.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, June S.-Rumors are
again in circulation that a new candi-
date for governor is being groomed in
the person of Col David J. Palmer, for
the past dozen years q member of the
state railroad commission. For a num-
Der of years Col Palmer has had am
bition to be governor of Iowa. In 1901
| he was informally entered in the race,
but did not permit the matter to go
| far. Before the last contest for COVER
nor his name was considered for some
time, but finally it was decided best to
concentrate on another for strategic
reasons Now some Of his friends be-
lieve Is the time for him to get into
| the game. He is a popular old SOL
der having a record of much hard
service in the war. He is a popular
speaker and has done much campaign
ling for the party. He has long been
recognized as of vast political influ-
tence in the First district. There is per-
haps no man in the state having a wild
er circle of acquaintances.
$50
The supreme court has upheld that
portion of the Iowa law which requires
that taxes collected in city for road
purposes shall be expended in the city.
The law was attacked in Jasper county
on the ground that the title was de-
fective. THE constitutional provis-
kion,. says the court, lis that an act
shall embrace but one subject and
matters properly connected Herewith,
which subject is to be expressed, and
not all matters properly connected
| herewith In other. words, the title
need not be statement OF the entire
act. The court also holds that the
law is mandatory.
The hearing by the railroad commits
sion on the coal rate question rather
indicates that there Will be some slight
reduction ordered in the coal rates in
Iowa. It was virtually shown that the
Illinois coal rate Is lower than In Iowa.
Coal is made only one class in that
state, but special rates are made for
slack coal The rate for lump coal is
much lower on long, distances than in
Iowa. At the same time the railroads
make a strong showing to the effect
that it costs more to handle coal in
Iowa than in Illinois. and anyway the
compensation for coal business is not
enough. 1t is conceded by all that
slack coal is handled at less than cost
and the railroads claimed that this is
done to encourage manufactures and
because the railroads get the benefit of
manufactures thus encouraged.
&ss
Illinois is the greatest manufacture
ing state in the union said General
Freight Agent Hamlin of the Burling-
ton line to the commission yesterday,
is the difference"
Would you honor us by informing
us as to the reason ~ asked J. p. Reece
of Abba.
ut is your rigid distance tariff" said
Mr. Hamlin. Fifty. per cent OF the
manufacturing Of Illinois is done out,
side Of Chicago and East St. Louis It
could not be possible were 1t true that
the railroads were trying to build up
Chicago exclusively and it could not be
done under a rigid distance tariff such
as Iowa enforces."
It is the theory Of the railroad men
that If the manufacturing industries
alone could be granted the joint rate
and this includes brick, coal and all
kinds Of manufacture-itw would result
in increasing the business in this state;
but il merchandise is touched it means
great reduction in the revenue of
the railroads without a corresponding
profit to the people. 'For instance"
said one Of the railroad men. yester-
day, Sin your shoe there is about four
cents of freight; in wagon the freight
sticks out all over It, If the state ex-
poets to enforce joint rate on grocer
les, and kindred things, the railroads
cannot stand for the reduced revenue
and will not do 30; but limited to
products and coal there
can be no objection
This man predicted that even Mr..
Hamlin Of the Burlington. who, all
thru the hearing impressed the COM
mission with the insistence that no
rates should be reduced and that no
joint rates should be established.
would concede an arrangement Of this
character And 1t is said that the rail-
roads will oppose 1t at the next meet
ing of the board, June "a, figured at the
so per cent basis with conditions. as
stated.