Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-15
RATE REGULATION THREATENED.

1 Judge Cowan, attorney for the Ma
tional Live, Stock association, the man
who worked with the president in
framing the rate regulation law. has
written a call to the livestock interests
OF Iowa which emphasizes the need OF
q man like Cummins in the United
| States senate. Every farmer should
read Judge Cowan's letter to Henry
Wallace, on. Wallace's Farmer. It fol-
| lows:
Washington, d. c., May g., 1905
Hon II. c. Wallace, Des Moines, Ia
My Dear Mr.. Wallace: In view OF
your interest In the railroad rate leg
islation and litigation of recent years,
am writing you in the hope Of en-
listing your interest in the new de-
velopments in this matter / am con-
WINGED that this question has reached
suddenly and unexpectedly. a situation
in which it is vitality necessary that
every friend Of the public interest In
connection with proper regulation of
railroad service and charges be en-
listed without delay.
have been in New York recently,
and coming on to Washington. COM
pairing observations in both places, am
convinced that the situation in brief
is this:
The railroads, following the enact
ment Of the railroad act of 1906, were
not prepared to make an immediate
test OF the act in court, because in the
condition OF superabundant prosperity,
huge earnings and immense volume of
business which marked conditions
then, they had small chance of con-
vincing any court that. the administra-
ton Of the new law could be shown to
be confiscatory.
It was necessary for the railroad
people to wait for a time when bust
ness should be poor and earnings low,
before making their test of the act.
That time has come. Railroad rates
which two years and even year ago
would have been sustained by any
court as reasonable and remunerative,
are today liable to be shown, in le-
gal proceedings, to be SO low, when
applied to present volume of business,
as to be In effect confiscatory. Conse-
quently, the railroads of the whole
country dTO SOltlAS ACooy W SOsS
rates; probably by 10 to Is per cent;
certainly by an amount which cannot
be borne by the agricultural. livestock
and general business interests with
out serious imposition.
II under present conditions 1t be-
comes necessary to make q fight
against increase of rates, there is the
utmost danger that the courts will find
that there is good reason for increas-
ing some of the rates.
Once raised, these rates will continue
in force probably for many years. The
experience of cattlemen Is that 1t
takes years to get rates reduced. 1t is
vastly easier to prevent the increase
than to secure reductions after the
advance Is once made, and infinitely
more Just az Is demonstrated by the
Chicago terminal charge case.
For these reasons I am writing to
urge that you and your publications,
and the Corn Belt Meat Producers as
ISOLATION, which did successful service
in the earlier, indeed all, stages Of this
contest, and everybody in your section
whom you can interest, recognize the
situation, and take an active interest.
The fight for railroad control was
only opened by the law of 1906 That
was beginning merely. That act
must be strengthened amended, and
sustained in the courts. 1t will take
years of hard fighting to get what is
still vitality necessary. If the public
fails in that then government owner
ship will be the issue.
There is pending legislation to give
the commission power to compel rail-
roads to provide adequate service.
which your people indorse. II not your
representatives. Also, legislation to
give the commission power to suspend
proposed increase of rates. pending
examination and determination as to
The whole ground
must be fought over in the next two
or three years, and hope our friends