Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-21
DISCRIMINATION IN RAILROAD
RATES PROVING HANDICAP TO
MANUFACTURING.
FAILS TO RANK WITH
SURROUNDING STATES
Clifford Thorne, in Address at Ida
Grove, Proves There's Reason for
Poor Rank Of lowa-Proposes to
Remedy Conditions If Elected Rail
road Commissioner.
Special to Times-Republican.

Iua CiroVe, May Zl.-ln a speech mere
this afternoon Clifford Thorne, candi-
date for railroad commissioner before
the republican primaries. spoke of
Iowa factories and railroad rates. III
which he demonstrated that Iowa Is
losing prestige in manufacturing be-
cause Of the Determinations OF the
railroads. Mr. Fhorne was heard by
large audience He said in part:
| 1owa's rank among her sister states
! in regard to manufactures is hard To
account for. We would naturally ex-
/ pect some similarity with Kansas, Min
nesota or Wisconsin. And yet we nnd
that the value of the manufactured
products of each of those states for the
last year reported by the United States
| department OF commerce and labor
was from thirty-eigh million to a
quarter of a billion dollars greater
than in Iowa. Why is this true? Pop
ulation and railway facilities are two
great essentials to the growth OF
manufactures. But we find that Iowa
! had from two to FIVE hundred thousand
greater population. and from one TO
| two thousand more miles of railway
| than either of those states.
"The relative disproportlon with
other neighboring states is even great
err. The population. according to the
} last census, was: In Iowa. c.231 ,s53:
| in Indiana. 2.516462; in Ohio, 4,157.-
545; and in Michigan, 2.240.9S2; and
| Iowa had from 500 TO 1000 more miles
Of railway than any OF those states:
| yet the value OF the manufactured
products of those states for the last
year reported was from 24O per cent
to 600 per cent greater than in Iowa.
! Ohio manufactures exceed those in
Iowa by over SS00000000
| Every state adjoining Iowa, except
Nebraska and South Dakota. has a
larger amount of manufactures every
year than has Iowa: Minnesota, on the
north has almost double the volume;
| Missouri, on the south. has over two
and half times as much; Illinois. on
the east, has nine times the amount
Something Is radically wrong some
place.
at is not wise to constantly adver-
tise such facts as these. But once in
awhile we might just as well look this
situation squarely In the face and try
to find some means of improving it..
l
not loath about spreading these facts
abroad In, their answer before the
Illinois R. & W. Com. Gin 19o6) the c.
NJ. st. P. Ry. Co. speaking Of Iowa,
stated: Tt is notorious that since the
| law Of 1883 every important manufac-
turing industry has moved away from
the state; that there remains but few
minor interests in the interior. which
fare all Of a strictly local character
This statement is unquestionably ex-
aggerated. as there are a large number
Of important manufacturing enter
prises in the state. But practically all
OF these industries are !aboring under
severe handicap with their COMPETE
ttors elsewhere, which saps their
strength and prevents their growth.
"It is time for this condition TO
change One way to help bring about
a change Is to make a complete over
hauling Of our interstate freight rates.
EVERYTHING else being equal the fac
tory Is going to locate where the rates
are most advantageous. Rates are like
rent, you have to keep paying them
all the time This, l am told. has
caused scores of factories and iobbing
centers to be located just across the
river in Illinois. many OF which would
otherwise go to Iowa
st propose a thorough and extaus-
tive investigation of the Interstate
freight rates affecting Iowa generally.
I advanced this program in my OPEN
ing statement Feb. IL. Since then the
present state railroad commission has
offered no excuse whatever for ne
glectins this part of their duty Which
they nave had since 1907. Recently
thousands of rates affecting Iowa have
been raised, and no effort whatever
has been made by our state commits
sion to test the reasonablencss of these
advances. This duty relative 10 In
terstate rates is specifically provided
for in Sections o12o-a. and b. of the
suprlement to the Code I sincerely
believe that Iowa is justified in de-
manding that the state commission
shall undertake this task. 1t Will mean
some hard work. but 1t may prove to
be of incaculable help TO the future
growth and prosperity OF our state.
This will make all that rate legislation
Ne have been so profoundly interested
in. Of some concrete tangible value to
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