Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-05
CLIFFORD THoRNE SHOWS uN.
FAIRNESS OF PROPOSED BOOST
OF FREIGHT RATES.
DECLARES RAILROAD COMBINE
IS WORSE THAN STANDARD OIL
Ono Man Dictates Traffic Tariff For
Entire Country, Agreement Including
$50 Linss-Evsry Shipper in Missis-
sippi Valley is Affsetsd-othsr News
Of the State.
Special to Tines Republican.

Washington, Iowa, May 5.-The
Washington County Press will publish
a statement in this weeks issue from
Clifford Thornc, rate expert and can
didate for railroad commissioner, con-
corning the increased freight rates
which are to be put into effect by all
lines in Iowa and other Mississippi
! valley states on June 1. Mr.. Thorne
shows up the railroad combine and
declares it is stronger and more vicious
than the Standard Oil octopus in its
palmiest days. Mr.. Thorne's statement
follows:
THE railroads of the middle west,
as we'll as those of the whole country,
are now commencing to do precisely
what they have been threatening for
several months past. I have tried my
best to challenge attention to what was
coming and to show the necessity to
prepare for it.
Mr.. w. H. Hosmer has Just an
nounced an increase of from IL to Is
per cent in the freight rates on various
commodities in this section of the ma
ton. 1t may be of more than passing
interest to know just who this gentle
man is. Mr.. Hosmer. lives in Chicago.
Twenty-six great railway systems have
organized what is called the Western
Trunk Lines committee. In issuing
these now rates Mr.. Hosmer acts as
agent for this immense aggregation of
railroads, including the Sante Fe sys-
tenn the Burlington, the Great North
ern, the Missouri Pacific, c.. & A., G. &
N. w, C. G. W., c.. /. & S., C. NJ. &
g., C. M. & st. p, C. p. & S., c.. r. I, &
p, c. S. M. & O., E. il E., F. D. NJ.
& S., /. c., /. S. L., Ia. c., K. G. S., M. &
S. L., M. s.. & S. S. NJ, NJ. K. & T.,
U. p, @. o. & K. CTS L. & S. F., M
Wabash railway companies. In addi-
ton to these great trunk ines Mr..
Hosmer acts as agent for over one
hundred other railroad companies go
ing into every nook and corner of this
vast territory.
''This increase affects ultimately al
most every village and hamlet in the
Mississippi valley. No king in all his
tory ever exerted greater actual tax
ing power than is exhibited in this
simple performance Of Mr.. Hosmer.
This increase of IL to Is per cent on
commodities in our portion Of
the country is only one part Of a pre-
arranged program over the entire ma
ton. Other increases will follow from
the. Atlantic to the Pacific. And you
and l fold our hands in meek subnis-
sion, and continue to talk about the
tariff. There is not a soul in the ma
ton taking the initiative on u be-
half in investigating these advances is
sued by Mr.. Hosmer.
eff our New England ancestors were
alive today I believe there would be a
tea party. Talk about taxation with
out representation? What did you or
anybody for you have to say in those
counsels held recently in Chicago when
these increases Were decided upon!
you say the amount. Of increased
rates which each man shall pay is
small. Yes, they said the same thing
about that tax on tea. At first even
John Adams had little sympathy with
what he called "thos small minded
men who refused to pay a trivial tax
on their tea; and who would plunge
the country into war and ruin all for
a matter Of a few stamps The cost
of the stamps and the tax on the tea
was not what was at stake. There was
an issue far greater han that. And
Adams saw the light after awhile,
lIldAh oOu. AiAS1c 40 q PIiAASIptC GU
take right now. Some folks don't
seem to know what principle means.
1--WE are informed that these ad-
vances are to be uniform over large
sections Of the country. That is pre-
cisely the milk in the c%ocoanut. There
is the rub. Now what shipper is going
to put much time or energy or money
in fighting those advances? A few
spasmodic attempts will be heard OF
here and there. then all will be forgot
ten. In due course Of time those al
vances will b. added to the things o
and I buy to eat and wear. The ship
per will push the burden on the con-
sumner.
'If ever a monopoly existed on this
earth, here is one. Not the semblance
Of competition exists. Even the Stand
ard Oil Company, in all its majesty and
power, has a few competitors who do
not come n go at the beck and call
of 26 Broadway. But when Mr.. Hos
mer speaks $50 railroad companies fol-
low suit, and o and I pay the bill.
'.The gross earnings of American
railroads last year were over a billion
dollars greater than ten years ago. that
increase alone being over three times
greater than the entire tariff of the
United States government. An Increase
in freight rates of only l mill per ton
mile would cost America over two hun
dred million dollars every year, or a
couple of billion in one decade. Talk
about a legislative Jackpot of 500 900,
or a sugar scandal of a couple OF mil
lion, why all the graft of the tariff, n
all the steals Of the g trust, all
the brides of our legislative bodies,
city councils, rolled into one would be
lust a tiny drop in the bucket COM
pared to these hundreds of millions OF
our railroad companies are pre-
to lake from the pockets of the
THE svsr increasing popu-
:..;ty, hS s.>r. psosss /
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