Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-25
NEW CANDIDATE FOR RAILWAY
COMMISSIONER A REAL
REFoRMER.
NORTHWESTERN IOWA MAN
HAS BUSINESS PLATFORM
Declares Shippers Have No Chance
When Commission is Selected by the
Railroads-Equipme Of Iowa Lines
Neglected in Order to Pile Up
Dividends.
special to Times-Republican.

! Special to Times-Republican.
/ Ottosen, March 25.-keep your eyes
on c. Ottosen, of Ottosen, Humboldt
4 county, Iowa Ottosen may not have
"a statewide acquaintance, but he is a
big man in Humboldt county and he
promises to do things if elected as a
member of the Iowa railway commits
sion, his candidacy for one OF the two
vacancies to be filed just being an
nounced.
Mr.. Ottosen has a platform, and it
is apparent from the reading thereof
! that he does not wear railroad tag.
In announcing his candidacy Mr.. Otto
sen presents some facts regarding real
conditions in Iowa from the shippers
standpoint, and also promises reforms
if nominated and elected He says
Having been candidate for rail-
road commissioner before the state
. convention which nominated y. S.
ketchum. six years ago, the people
who supported my candidacy then,
and others to whom l was personally
unknown at that time. are now urging
that 1 be a candidate before the 1910
enter the field. and in doing so have
full appreciation of the responsibilities
and labor devolving on any man who
makes an honest and conscientious eff
fort to correct the abuses and mitigate
the evils that have grown up in con-
nection with railroad management in
Iowa.
The value of pre- election pledges
has. within the past few years, greatly
deprecated. especially those pledges
made to the public; SO suspicious have
the people become as to their value.
that in themselves they are almost
| worthless 1t seems to me that the
proper measure of a mans usefulness
is his past record and present affilia-
tons.
Shippers Have No Show.
'At no time in the fistory-o of Iowa
has the railway service degenefated to
such a useless condition, so far as the
shipper is concerned, as at the present
time To what extent this condition is
due as to incompetent management or
disregard of the public rights, am
unable to say. But the condition en-
phasizes the fact that some means must
be found to provide the greatest agri-
cultural state in the union with de-
cent railroad service in order to pro-
tect the great interests of the coun-
try i. e.: The agricultural and stock
producing interests against serious
handicap and heavy losses. which the
present insufficient management places
upon them.
C. G. w. compIimented.
'It is not a complimen tary comment
upon the general management OF ral.-
roads in Iowa that road ike the
Chicago Great Western, just emerging
from the hands of receivers, should
outclass all other railroads in the state
in the point OF honest and efficient ser
vice TO its patrons. The fact that the
superior equipment and conditions OF
the Great Western is due to its receiy-
ers, is not, perhaps, a valid argument
in favor of having all other Iowa rail-
roads placed in the hands OF receiv-
ers: but it is positive. evidence that
better conditions may be maintained
on practically all other roads If they
were managed with view to honest
and efficient service to the public.
Equipment inadequate.
i.The science of railroading seems to
traye degenerated into successive at
/ tempts to reduce expenses. To such an
extent has this science developed that
the equipment of the Iowa railroads Is
entirely inadequate to give that service
which the vast bulk of our transporta-
ton positively demands, and to which
we have unquestioned right.
each succeeding superintendent
seems to see no duty except to increase
its stockholders dividends at the eX-
pense of honest service to the public
In the face of these facts, it is Justly
complained that Iowa is unjusuy dis
eliminated against in the matter of
freight rates.
1T is my belief that an honest and
energetic railway commission, nomi-
mated and elected as they now will be
by the people, instead of by the rail-
roads, viii, under the law. have the
power largely TO correct these abuses