Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-11-02
RAILROAD ATTACK ON CAN0i.
DATE rhoRNE SHOWN UP Bv
MEAT PRODUCERS.
SINCLAIR INTERVIEW FULL OF
ERRORS AND MEASUREMENTS
Story Given Wide Circulation BY
Standpat, Democratic and othsr
Association Not Seeking Lower
Rates on Hogs.
Special to Times. Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Nov 2.-President A.
Sykes. OF the Corn Belt Meat Produc-
ers' Association. has issued reply to
the interview with Sidney Sinclair. head
Of the Cedar Rapids packing house. IN
which he declared that the Iowa pack
Ing industry was menaced by the Corn
Belt associations demand for lower
freight rates. as made before the COM
merce commission In Chicago. Mr..
lated In the standpat and democratic
newspapers OF the state. and was
yelled attempt to defeat Clifford Thorne
republican candidate for railroad COM
missioner and attorney for the associ-
alton In the rate hearing. The inter
view was inspired by the railroads. and
contained so many misstatements and
misinformation that President Sykes
has been moved to show the utter falls
ity OF Mr.. Sinclair's claims. He ad
dressed the following statement to the
Des Moines Capital, which was one OF
the newspapers which was caught by
the railroad bait. Mr.. Sykes letter
follows:
Des Moines. Nov. 1. 1910. Editor
Capital. Des Moines. Iowa Dear Sir:
In the Capital Of Oct. 90 appears a
special. dated Cedar Rapids. Iowa, in
which Mr.. Sidney Sinclair. OF the SIN
clair Packing Company. Is quoted at
some length. The statements at
tributed to Mr.. Sinclair In this special
t<I (,,1l of oil Nd
contain so many downright falsehoods
that In Justice to the farmers and
stockmen OF Iowa I will ask you to
publish correction.
Mr. Sinclair says: "The lowering OF
freight rates worked a serious disad
| vantage to the Iowa packers. in favor of
the Chicago packing houses" luther
| along he referred to the contest for
lower hog rates into Chicago from
Iowa which was urged by Clifford
Thorne. as representative Of the Corn
Belt Meat Producers Association. AS
is we'll known, the chief business Of the
Iowa packing houses is packing hogs.
They handle comparatively few cattle
and these OF an inferior sort. except an
| occasional load OF good ones. And Mr..
Sinclair Is trying to give the impress
sion that Iowa hog rates to Chicago
have been reduced. This is absolutely
untrue. The rates on hogs from Iowa
points to Chicago are practically the
same as they have been for many
years. The Corn Belt Meat Producers
Association made no effort to reduce
the Iowa hog rates below what they
have been for years past. The assocf-
alton filed a petition with the inter
state commerce commission asking for
l tno nd tn,
the sheep rates. The petition covered
repeatedly in the trial OF the case that
the association was not seeking to re-
duce the hog rates below what they
had been After the case was begun
and one decision rendered the railroads
! advanced the hog rates from some 800
points in Iowa to Chicago. and when
| the case was re-opened the association
! insisted that the rates should be put
back to where they We're before the
advances were made This was done
by the commission in its final decision
and the rates on hogs from Iowa points
| to Chicago are today Just what they
have been for years past Mr.. Sin
clair is therefore undertaking to give
a false impression TO the people.
Not Corn Belt Concern.
Mr. Sinclair Is quoted as saying as
saving: obstacle in the
road to success for the Iowa packers
came when the Corn Belt Meat Pro-
ducers' Association established an in
dependent commission house in Chi
| caco. to which members OF tho associa-
| ton were compelled to ship their stock
or pay penalty. This was an OBJ
stacle in the way of success to the In
| terror Iowa packer. 1t Afforded further
| attraction to the Chicago market and
was q move in favor OF the Chicago
| packer" This Is an apSolute 1alse-
hood"
The Corn Belt Meat Producers AS
ISOLATION did not establish an inde-
pendent commission house In Chicago
and had no connection with it In any
way, except that some of the members
of the Corn Belt Meat Producers AS
! sociation were also members OF the CO.
operative Live stock Commission Com
| many. The Co-operative Live Stock
! Commission Company WAS organized
! in Denver, Colo. at a time when the
livestock commission merchants at the
| the different markets made an advance
| In their charges for selling livestock. A
| meeting was held at Denver which was
| attended by large stockmen from all
over the west: only two stocknen from
Iowa we're in attendance at this meet
ing. After discussing the matter from
| every standpoint the stockmen felt that
they could not afford to pay the ad-
yanced charges made by tho commits
| sion merchants and determined to or
ean,ze their own commission company.
They did this and solicited tho sup
port of the stockmen thruout tho coun-
| try. Seevral hundred Iowa stockmon-
some of them members Of the Corn
| Belt Meat Producers Association and
many Of tllcm not-bccnmc members OF
(Continued on YaSs Ten.)