Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-08

| White figure that the three commits
| sioners could handle that class of work
| for every city, town, village and coun-
| try community in the state of Iowa
on the subject of rates, and at the
same time inspect all railroads, bridges
and equipments, as required by law,
and give personal attention to the 300
or more other classes of cases that are
constantly and property coming before
the board? Mr.. White should have in
vestigated some of these things before
making the assertions he has.
Gases in Supreme Court.
"Mr White complains that for eigh-
teen years there was a joint rate law
on the statute books that the Iowa
board did not enforce, and that the
Thirty second general assembly had to
make a mandatory law in order to
have any action taken by the commits
sion If Mr.. White is the author of the
Joint rate law now in effect, he should
know of the defect in the former law
which prevented this commission from
carrying out it's provisions This de-
feet was pointed out by the supreme
court of the state of Iowa. which NULL
fled the action taken by the Iowa COM
mission many years ago. If MIR. White
had Investigated this subject he would
have found that the commission at
tempted to put in force many years
ago the same joint rate schedule that
they did put in force last year under
the new law He would have found
that the railroads appealed to the
courts and he would have discovered
that the board was defeated in the
courts because certain steps required
by the law had not been taken by the
shippers who desired joint rates. The
commission after that decision time
after time suggested to shippers that
they bring complaints before the board
in strict compliance with the joint rate
statute, and the commission would
at once proceed in conformity with the
statute to fix the joint rate. This was
never done. There was one case that
was brought up before the board and
the commission had a hearing upon 1T.
They were about to fix a joint rate on
the business as requested when the
case was withdrawn. The late Hon.
Frank T. Campbell. eX-member of the
board, acted as attorney for the COM
pany that made the application for the
joint rate in that case. The records
are clear upon this and reference to
this particular case may be had by re-
ferring to page 127 of the report of the
board for 1900.
There was another case brought by
Miller e Son of Clermont on August
10. 1905. asking for joint rates on
brick. in which the firm referred to
Ex-Governor Larrabee, who under
stands the situation perfectly The
commissioner in strict compliance with
the joint rate law, issued notice fix
ing hearing at their office. On the
date named in the notice. all parties
drew the case. Record Of this pro-
ceeding appears in the report OF the
board for 1906, page 306.
"The commission is using its ut
most endeavor to inform itself upon all
rates affecting Iowa, hut it is prob
able that Mr.. White does not know
the amount of labor involved in this
kind of investigation. The commits
sion has just revised its classification,
which is now in the hands of the
printer. which has involved months
of hard work The work of the board
concerning rates is only part Of the
work that the law requires the COM
mission to do. The commission has
general supervision over all railroads
in all particulars. and outside of rate
adjustments the board takes action
upon hundreds OF cases representing
all phases of railroad operation and
management
every member of the commission Is
ready to enforce the provisions of any
law on the statute books over which
they have any jurisdiction and no one
has any ground for making any asser-
ton to the contrary.
"The commissioners are willing to
stand upon their record and insist that
those who criticize their work should
inform themselves as to what that
record Is"