Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-02
SHORT HAUL RATE
IN STATE is CHEAP
TARIFF FOR DISTANCE BETWEEN
80 AND $50 MILES LOWER THAN
IN ILLINOIS, BUT LONG HAUL is
HIGH
Des Moines Bureau Of
The Ottumwa Courier,
nes Moines Nav 1

Des Moines May 1
There will not be any material
change in the rates on freight in gen.
eral merchandise classes under the
iowa classification. and the rates as es-
tablished upwards of eighteen years
ago will remain substantially without
reduction. Neither shippers nor rail-
road men have pointed out to the COM
mission just how any revision is to be
made that will be reasonably satisfac-
tory to many Of the interested parties
without being obnoxious to at least a
few.
The serious obstacles to revision by
reduction have been found Tho first
and most important Is the matter Of
compelling a readjustment of business
relations in the state and general
shaking up Of commercial relations,
with special reference to communities
and commodities and firms and prices.
The railroad men say that the great
obstacle to the growth OF Iowa cities
and towns is the rigidity of Iowa rates
and the fact that under the Iowa law
rates must be based on q mileage
! schedule, SO that there is no way that
special Industries may be favored or
competition be established where nat
nral conditions are opposed to 1t. But
1t is also pointed out that business in
Iowa has been made to conform to
this system. jobbing and manufactur-
| Ing centers have been established all
over the state and any material
change means readjustment of these
matters. This would be serious
thing.
Iowa Has Cheap Short Haul.
| Then there is the question of alb
stract right and fairness in the rate.
It was shown at the hearing yesterday
before the railroad commission that
the Iowa rate is lower than that of H.
linois for distances from 80 to 150
miles and then higher for longer dis
tances. But the bulk of the business
Is done on the shorter haul. If the IL
linois rate is accepted then there will
be increase of rates for the shorter
distances. The commission cannot es-
cape this logic.
But the representative Of the Coun-
Gil Bluffs Commercial club put up to
the commission and the railroad a
problem which appears to be peculiar
to the cities in the western part Of the
state. They pointed out that in east
ern Iowa the cities get the benefit Of
the long haul on interstate rates to
the Mississippi river basing point,
and that the addition of the local rate
across Iowa works a hardship. They
! even pointed out that on some COM
4 n1odities Des Moines gets the Mississ-
ippi river rate. They argued that the
Interstate rate was evidence in the
opinion of the railroads freight can
be hauled cheaper than under the Iowa
schedule for distances of 200 to 300
miles. In answer to this, representa-
4 tIyes Of the railroads suggested the ar
gument that the density of population
east of the Mississippi river had much
to do with it.
| Keep Long Haul High.
4 But it was made pretty plain to all
concerned that the Iowa rates on
short hauls are now lower than in most
/ of the other states and If there Is a re-
4 adjustment of these general rates.
there will be some increase on the
short rates. The railroads. however,
are more concerned in keeping the long
haul rates where they are, SO as not to
disturb interstate rates, which might
heSaffected by the same. Inasmuch as
1t appears that majority Of the ship
lpers are well satisfied with present
rates. or at least are not making com.
plants, it is likely there will be no
change made at present.
i So, also, in the matter of preparing
a schedule for joint rates it appears
that the Des Moines jobbers are not
asking for any joint rates and in fact
would prefer that they be not put in
for they can reach more points in the
state by direct route than other job,
bers. When joint rates are establish
cd there is sure to be much complain.
ing. even among the shippers, so the
task is not an easy one. The commits
sion has not taken up this work as yet
and cannot do SO under the law until
/ later.
Ora Williams
!, Sieve GaIIion Winner