Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-24
Commission Plan Campaign in
Des Moines Brings Out I'm
written History
WHAT OTHERS MAY EXPECT
Agitation Of Commission Plan Will
Revive All Previous Administration
"Jobs,p and Questionable Transac-
tions-some Ancient History in Des
Moines Has Just Come to Light.
special to Times Republican.

l . q L. = -. "
Special to Times Republican.
| Des Moines, May 24.--Whatever the
merits Of 1.-The commission plan of gov
eminent, the agitation Of the question
in this city is causing to be raked out
from dark closets all the skeletons of
misgovernment and corruption. Fur
thermore, newspapers of Des Moiness
that for one reason or another would
MT print stories when the events trans
pired are now bringing them out for
the information of the public. The
agitation of the question is further.
more proving that all virtue does not
repose IN any one mortal soul or
cause. and complications prevail
everywhere. III any other city Of Iewa
proposes &c agitate the question of
the commission plan Of government
following the action in this city, it
may prepare itself to expect all these
things.
At the Trades and Labor Assembly
John NJ. Work, socialist, and one time
candidate for governor Of Iowa on that
ticket, told what he claimed was the
inside history Of the proposed $4,000
loan by the city to the water works
company, to lay. the mains to the army
post! The story has not till now APP
peared in print. When the effort was
made to get the government to estab-
lish an army post near this, city the
question of getting water to, the post
came up. The city guaranteed that
the mains would be laid and the water
works company promised it. After the,
building Of the post was started the
water works company baked. They
said they. would build it il the, city
would loan them the, $4,000 to lay the
mains without interest.
H Such a proceeding was illegal but
the Commercial club urged the city to
do It, and the city council voted 1t.
The auditor and; treasurer could. not
draw the warrant and pay the money
without endangering their bondsmen5
and so theysraised the question and the
money was never loaned. But Work
tells more. He claims that the audi
tor and treasurer went to the company
and informed them if they would get
them other bondsmen and thus relieve
their personal bondsmen they would
draw the warrant and pay. the MONEY,
the damage. if any, to come on the
water works bondsmen. The water
works company hurried n. T. Guernsey
to the east to get bondsmen but Work
sand PdgK Of this city telegraphed to
all the professional bondsmen telling
them the circumstances and telling
them; NOT to do It, That ended 1t,
seemingly. But a suit had been started
and was pending. Every effort was
made to hurry this to a conclusion and
the business men urged the socialists
to. allow the suit to be tried to hasten
the laying of the mains. The socialists
were playing for a bigger card and
after a little delay the suit was set
tied by the. water works company lay
ing the mons without the loan. Ac-
jcording to Work they We're under con-
tract with the government and had to
build It loan orsno loan.
Reserving the right to alter its ruiz
ing later the state railroad commission
yesterday announced that it would not
now attempt to establish blanket
joint rate for freight IN this state. but
that 1t would undertake to put IN
joint rates for certain business enter
prises pet1tfoping therefor on certain
routes Of railroad.
It was disclosed In the hearing yes
terday that the authonB Of the bill
thought 1T would be impossible to en-
act a blanket rate and the law that
was passed was left open to the dis
erection of the commission. It provides
that the eioommission shall make ID
schedule Of joint thru railway rates for
such traffic and on such routes as IN
its Judgment the fair and reasonable
conduct of business requires" and the
board is authorized to add to any joint
rate promulgated by 1t. on due notice.
etc. Representative White of STORY
county joint author Of the, measure
with Senator Jameson, informed the
commission at the hearing that he had
never understood that the bill was in
tended to- require the commission to
enact a blanket schedule.
While the decision Of the 8cOmmis-
sion. as announced by Mr.. w. L. Eas-
on at the close OF the hearing at s
o'clock last night at the state house,
was declared lobe tentative ruling, it |
is believed that it will stick. During
the day the Shenandoah shippers and |
the railroads got together on per-
fectly satisfactory joint rate basis, af-
fecting. Industries there, and the CONF
mission decided to try hand at fixing
these rates for particular industries
and communities over particular
routes. TO that end it was announced
that the hearing would be resumed on
June g for the purpose of hearing
from the railroads and interested ship |
pers in certain communities the basis |
IF joint rates on which they may have
agreed in, the meantime. The list in
,ludes the brick and tile interests of
Mason City and Des Moises;
he industries Of Shenandoah and
Fairfield. These were represented at
he hearing just closed.
The feature Of the joint rate hearing
yesterday was the announcement by
Traffic Manager Tittemore of the Iowa
Central railroad that that company
would be. glad to put in joint rates with
any railroad for the benefit of any
shipper that may want to use its line.
This reused the ire of some of the
other railroad men. "Of course he is
willing to do that" said General Freight
FOL- j