Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-02
PLAYING SLY!
SOME CONFUSION ABOUT PuR-
POSE OF SUIT ATTACKING
FARE LAW.
ISSUES RAISED AFFECTING
STEAM LINES OF STATE
If Decided FavorabIy to l%nterurban
Stakeholder 2-cent Fare Law Will
Be Completely Destroyed - Whole
Matter of %lnterurban Profits to be
Gone ove-The Railroad Side.


Special TO Times-Republican.
Des Moines. Dec. Are the rail-
roads of Iowa playing a sly game in
federal court on the Iowa 2-cent law?
There seems to be some confusion
about the purpose and character of the
i~nterurban suit against the law.
Il has been given out, from sources
supposedly friendly to the railroads,
that there is really nothing involved
in the case except as TO the one line
from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, and
that the issue al not affect the steam
railroads of the state.
Ii is a suit of one stockholder against
the company Itself, and nominally
against state and county officials who
might enforce the law. The plaintiff
leads of with q statement that she
had demanded in writing OF the direc-
tors Of the company that they proceed
for testing the validity OF the statutes
Of the state Of Iowa fixing a maximum
rate Of > rents per mile on railroads
Of Class a. and Ito seek and secure
the annulTen- Of such law and en-
joining the enforcement OF said law as
against this company" The board re-
fused because OF the severe penalties
for failure 10 comply with the law.
In the suit before the federal court
general assembly which passed the
2-cenr fare law were persons I'M
skilled and unfamiliar with the rail-
way business Of the state Of Iowa ana
1he effect which the enactment of said
laws would have on the revenues of
railways within the state, and that they
did not inform themselves nor en-
deavor TO inform themselves as TO the
effect which the said reductions in
fares which would be -occasioned by
The enactment Of said substitute would
have upon the railroads within the
state Of Iowa"
The declaration is made that the
committee hearings were limited and
insufficient, and that IL was evidently
the intent of the legislature TO make
the law apply 10 steam railways only
and NOT 10 electric roads. The claim is
made that II costs al least $500 a mile
more % build an electric road than a
steam road.
1t is pointed out that while the d.
rect and immediate purpose Of this
suit is 10 raise the question as to tbs
application Of the aw 10 this one cleo
trio road at Iowa City, and the claim
is made that tha law hits electric:
harder than the steam roads. yet is.
sues are in fact raised which if decided
in the manner desired in the petition
will result in completely destroying ths
law.
Two suppositious citizens of the STATE
are made parties defendant, for tht
purpose Of making the people partie:
70 the suit. Nothing Is as yet known O
me case in the office of the railroad
commissioners Or attorney general
The hearing is within w weeks.
In the McClin-ock case the method o
arriving al the loss on trolley lin.
business is somewhat interesting. 1t j
related that the road was transferred
{ from Glass B 10 Class A, by order .
the state executive council. on Sept
Of this year. Prior 10 that time tn
company could have charged 20 cent
a mile for passenger traffic.
\ statement Of business follows i
which is given figures for the cal
endar year 1905 and for the twelv
months ended Sept. 80. In the yea
1908 the gross passenger earnings wer
in fact s97,oss.14. If the 2-cent az
had been in force the company's earn
ings would have been 80 per cent les
of s9.615 less. The total earnings 9
receipts were given as s117. 80, III
expenses Of operation s75,o4s.34. III
axes s3.011.o2 and the bond interes
$4,000. For the twelve months ende