Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-30
Controversy Over New Express
Rates, in Which Shippers
Make Complaint
NEW SCHEDULE OBJECTED TO
Claim is Made That Shippers Got Lit
tie or No Benefit From the Reduc-
tions - Report Soon Due on Work.
ines Of Cent Fare Law and Its Eff
fects on Revenues Of Lines.
special to Times-Republrcan.

special to .rimes-Republrcan.
road commission of Iowa and the ship
pers by express been flimhammed? Il
Is charged that some one has been
and that the new express rates adopt
ed by the commission are of little OF
no benefit to shippers.
1t has been charged by the Nebraska
railroad commission rate clerk that the
reduction is not 20 per cent, on the
average, as promulgated by the Iowa
commission.
| 1t is charged at Dubuque by the
| Telegraph Herald that The table OF
rates is false and misleading" and
that the railroad commission has in
dulged in opera bouffe in regard to the
nor for an extra session of the legis-
| lature to increase the membership on
the commission.
1t is understood that the shippers
commissioner, Mr.. Martin, at Dubuque,
has gathered statistics showing the
express rates actually charged by the
companies out of that city to 100 9TH
ers, and that the reduction provided
for by the commission is only about 6
per cent.
DR.. A. c. Hutchins, of Des Moines,
secretary of the Iowa Manufacturers
Association, said yesterday that statis-
tics of this kind are being gathered for
Des Moines, to determine what the &C
tual reduction in rates OIL actual ship
nlents out of this city will be.
1t is claimed by the Dubuque Tele-
graph Herald that the table of rates
furnished by the commission as show
ing the present rates and the rates
fixed by the board shows actually a
reduction of but 1865 instead of little
more than 20 per cent, as announced
at the office of the railroad commits
sion.
Much interest centers in the reports
(which the railroads will shortly make
of the passenger business during the
six months ending January 4. showing
the effect Of the 2-cent fare law adopt
pected that the report will include the
figures for corresponding periods OF
previous years for comparative pur-
poses. While no definite information is
yet obtainable, it IS believed that all,
or nearly all, of the roads operating IN
this state will show an increase In the
volume of passenger business in Iowa
and an increase in the net profits on it,
despite the lower general rate at which
it was handled.
The 2-cent fare law became effective
July 4, 1907, and it is known that dur
ing the first four months the passen-
ger receipts of most of the roads were
considerably greater than for the cor
responding period of 1906. Railroad
officials were surprised at the increase
in travel and generally were willing to
admit that it was principally due to the
lower rates stimulating travel.
The popular rate excursions, that
for years had been utilized by the
roads to stimulate passenger traffic,
We're completely abolished when the
law became effective. Since the finan-
cial furry started, there has been a
slump in passenger traffic. 1t is
known that some of the roads conttn-
ued to show an Increase over the cor
responding period of 1906, despite the
furry, but the increase was not as
great as during the preceding months.
L. NJ. Allen, general passenger agent
of the Rock Island, who was in Des
Moines Saturday. refused to discuss
the effect of the 2-cent fare. He said
that he did not have sufficient reports
to know exactly how business was
showing up under It, but that careful
reports were being kept by the roads
and announcements concerning them
would be made soon. He was not sure
that the reports would be issued at
the end of the first six months.
Considerable interest centers In the
report Of the Minneapolis & st. Louis
on account Of the litigation started
by stockholders Of the road to prevent
the officers reducing the rate to 2
cents per mile.
Under the Iowa law, the Minneapolis
& st. Louis could have charged ~
cents per mile, but on account Of so
many Of it's towns being competitive
points, the officials decided that 1t
would be best to adopt the 2-cent rate
generally. In addition to this reduce
ton the road has been more or less
affected by the new Fort Dodge, Des
Moines & Southern interurban line,
which makes an additional COMPETE
tor for it.