Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-08
RAILROADS R[1AL|A1[
Iowa Lines Attempt to Get
Even With State for Passage
of Restrictive Measures
REFUSE RATES TO IOWA FAIR
At Same Time Reduced Fares Are
Made on Interstate Business-Su-
prone Court Makes Ruling That Will
Permit Of Conviction Without Cor
roborative Evidence in Assault Cases.
sn.cta, to rtmes-Republlcan.

Special to Times-Republican.
| Des Moines, July s.-Railroads IN
Iowa propose to punish the state 1or
having passed the two-cent fare law,
the law prohibiting corporations con-
tributtng to political campaigns, the
anti-pass measure and other laws
which were enacted at the last session
of the legislature and which clippeo
the wings Of the corporations ana
prevented their soaring further INTO
the realms of politics. That the iowa
railroads are continuing in an ugly
mood and in face Of all the indications
| that Iowa will continue to be progress
i've and will continue to insist on gov
erning the railroads instead OF being
governed by them, the roads refuse 10
| submit. AS evidence Of this there IS
the continued stand of the railroads
| this year in refusing to give tne usuai
excursion rates to big AFFAIRS IN Iowa
s,1ch as the Iowa state fair, which is
distinctly state institution ana Is az
tended by $4,000 people each year.
Public officials are saying that there
| might not be the criticism against Tue
refusal Of the roads to give reouceo
state rates if they also refused 10 give
| excursion interstate rates. This week
there is exposed before the various
civ ticket offices in this city the big
advertisements of excursion rates run
| to practically every quarter OF the
| United States where the rate Is inter-
state. Nearly every road leading INTO
| the city is Offering such reduced
rates.
The Wabash is offering rate OF 30
| 70 ST. Louis and return for tota'
distance of $50 miles which is a rate OF
s00O73 per mile or less than one cen
a mile. The Great Western is of
fering rate Of So to Kansas City and
return which is even less yet.
When the two cent fare was put
thru the Legislature it was argued that
counting passes and special rates 10
travelling men and the three cent rate
charged the general public. the ROADS
| got about two cents a mile per pass
enger, not counting in excursions, ana
that in evening things up so that there
| would he no discrimination DeFWeen
passengers the railroads would have no
valid grounds for complaint But the
railroads complain anyway. Nhey
| claim that they cannot afford to give
| less than the legal two cent rate 'both
WAYS in Iowa to the Iowa state fair,
to the harvest festival at Ames and to
other distinctly state affairs. but iden-
tically the same railroads give much
less than the two cent fare for rates
to points outside the state of Iowa. For
many years the railroads have given
a rate Of a cent and half mile to
the Iowa state fair, or three cents Tor
the round trip, and on that rate the
attendance at the state fair has al
| ways been large and has increased
from year to year. Officials OF the
state fair say the attendance would
have been much larger last year than
it was If the old rate had been granted
by the railroads. The attendance this
year is sure to be large on a two cents
a mile rate, but would be much larger
If it was only a cent and a half, and
| so much larger that it is believed 1t
WOul0 pay GllS tSAAAAoe ~ oA<~AAI eAAS
| lower rate.
The evident intention on the part Of
| the railroads to discriminate against
all states that have passed 2-cent
fare law or in anyway interfered
with the free license of the railroads to
dabble In politics and do as they please
generally is causing the members of
| the legislature and public officials gen
| orally to turn their minds to new legis-
lation. Realizing that the railroads
have not learned their lesson and that
they will continue to take advantage
of every technicality OFFICIALS and pub
| lie minded citizens are studying how
| to prevent such an obvious discrim1na-
ton. Thus far the idea of additional
legislation has not taken form, but is
| tending toward Capitalization and
greater control by the interstate com =
merce commission. 1t is readily realized
that in such matters with division
Of authority between state and inter-
| state commissions the railroads are
able to hide behind first one and then
| the other as suits their purpose and
by too jealous guarding and too strict
Interpretation of states rights the peo-
pie Of state may injure their own
welfare. 1t is more than likely that the
matter will come before the next gen.
eral assembly in one form or another.
In decision Of the supreme court
handed down yesterday the position of
the Polk county officials that lack of
corroborative evidence made it impos-
sible to indict Lamonte Frederick, the
negro for an assault upon Mrs. w. H.
Riser, white woman, is not sustained.
The case in which the supreme
court acted was that of the state
against Frank Ralston appealed from
Monroe county. The decision is likely
to have some bearing if there are any
further assaults upon white women by
negroes.
In the case Of Ralston the assault
was upon his own sister a woman Of
as years. There was no witness to the
assault as there was none in the case
of the assault upon Mrs. Riser. In the
Ralston case after the assault which
took place in the home where the
brother and sister lived she ran
screaming from the house to that of
| neighbor across the street. In the Ris-
ser case Mrs Riser dragged herself
home and informed her husband and