Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-11
LIVESTOCK INTERESTS INVOLVED.

men. are interested in one Of the ques-
tons with which the interstate COM
i merce commission Is dealing at the
i present time. At st. Paul a test case
ahas been begun to test the validity OF
4 the rate law, the commission having
abeen notified that roads entering chi
j caro are seeking to enjoin the enforce
i ment Of the law which lowered the
II terminal charge at Chicago from 81 to
Il Il per car Of live stock. The farmers
4 and Others whose livelihood depends
/ in any way on the marketability OF
! cattle have no desire to see the higher
= charge made valid, for anything which
tends to raise the price OF a commodi-
+ ~ will have a tendency to make the
article luxury and therefore put 1t
out OF reach of the mass,es.
AS the .sThree Guardsmen" Of Alex
anfler Dumas. pere, had for their motto
..All for one and one for all" so the
people Of the Hawkeye state are in
terested in the general welfare of the
United States as the whole republic
u il Interested in each and every province
d (which makes up the national domain
1Ns1 is Just and equitable charge for
|sthe ..terminar' (switchiny or transfer)
- charge Of cars Of live stock, then the
I Iowan wants to see the lower charge
i sustained and maintained. On the 9TH
Ter hand If it is not a sufficient COM
pensation for the labor, wear and other
expenditures of force involved, then the
charge which will cover this is the
right one.
But the railroads have in so many
Instances arbitrarily raised these
/ switching charges in different cities OF
| the country in percentage out of all
reason-sometimes 800 and 400 per cent
Hut one clip-that the public has be-
come very wary OF believing the JUS
lice Of some of the increases, If not all
/ of them, and is skeptical to a high de-
gree as to the real merit Of such adj
yances. If measures were ever enacted
that were confiscatory Of railroad
rights or property, as railroads claim,
.hen the public has certainly had just
sause to retaliate with the cry Of lex
tortions where shipping and advanced
|ltransfer charges have been in question.
/ The commission has retained for its
] attorney Judge S. H. Cowan, of Fort
Worth, Texas, counsel for the Lone
star states cattle growers organize
ton, and a barrister largely responsible
for the framing of the law, and it is
not at all improbable that Hon. Albert
be called upon to give the commission
the benefit of his knowledge as wit
ness His skill and experience in deal
Ing with the railroads, as well as other
matters, have made him deservedly
one Of the most esteemed Of the truly
sspro- populi" executives in this coun-
try IN many years.
Iowa wants to see every just charge
FOR the carriage of live stock enforced
and will be glad to payp her share of
the freight, but her interest opposes
anything in the way of excessive
freight rates and she wants the mar
kets kept as open and free to the re-
Sception OF her products as possible.
Thus the people of this state are
anxious that the switching charge Of
4 ST per car be approved by the verdict
Il of the interstate commerce commission,
for not only will this state have to pay
ID large proportion of any additional
cost imposed, but will suffer from the
5restriction Of the market for its live
stock which will follow