Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-13
STATEMENT REGARDING CORN
BELT ASSOCIATION CASE
SHOWS THERE WAS LEAK.
CAN NOT EXPLAIN HOW
RAILROADS WERE NOTIFIED
Eaton Declares There Was No lnten-
ton on Part Of Commission as a
Whole to Play Into the Hands of
Railway Attorneys-Eaton Not a
Candidate For Reelection.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Jan. 13-Before his de-
parture last evening for California,
where he goes to accompany his wife
for winter trip, Willard L. Eaton, of
Usage, again stated to your CORE
spondent, as he has many times before,
that he will not under any circum-
/ stances be a candidate for railroad
commissioner The fact has been pub
lished several times in this CORE
spondence.
L am not candidate for any office"
said Mr.. Eaton Il have so stated
perhaps hundred times the past year.
l feel that l can not afford to hold this
! position to the neglect of my private
| business"
AS a matter of fact Mr.. Eaton came
very near resigning from the office
about a year ago and so stated to the
writer at that time
There is always danger OF men in
office becoming TO some degree depend
ent upon it and they sometimes come
I TO feel that the office in some way be-
longs to them. Then there is an ad-
vantage in quitting office when one
feels conscious of record that will
stand any test, l have no doubt what
TO the office again. That is a good time
to quit | have little patience with
men who get mad because they have to
/ give up an office. No office was ever
so alluring TO me that l would make a
fight for it; none was ever so much
desired that l would make a fight to
hold it.
There is another thing about the
situation here. l believe that the work
OF this commission has not been so
nearly all up before in fifteen years
We have disposed of a vast amount
of work, and especially in the closing
months of last year. I wanted this
work all out Of the way before should
go away for brief visit and it has
been done"
1t was suggested to Mr.. Eaton that
his statement of the Davenport case
involving loading of coal In cars OF
other roads and taking state rate af-
ter such reloading was a very import
ant matter and the decision one tina
would rank with any court decision.
That coal case was one of the fin
est I ever had anything to do with
said Mr.. Eaton. TT was admirabl,
presented to US and fully argued OF
both sides And in that case the boart
took advanced ground, just littl
ahead of anything ever before an
nounced by any commission or an.
: court Times have changed. F'ifteel
~, lei
been Immediately appealed and tn
Iowa supreme court would have re
versed it. But l hold that in thes
matters we should move with the times
+ If that decision stands, and 1 do no
believe it will be appealed from,
q means an important step in the direc
ton of breaking down the barrier t
d the interstate commerce clause. GU
a making a fiat rate from river to rive
Z for Iowa shipments was another decls
= ion Of the commission which fey
a wears ago would have been regarded a
= revolutionary, but it was necessary
n meet conditions and it will stand. S
in many respects feel that the com
q mission has been strengthening tn
hold of state on the transportatio
y problem. 1t is in handling matters
] this kind that the position here is yer
n gratifying to me"
q In regard to the recent controvers
n over the record made by the state raj
/ road commission in the Iowa livestoe
rate case, Mr.. Eaton gave his fir:
a public statement of the record. ar
E this clears up several matters. TT
a only matter which needed eXplanatic
I was that relating to the fact that whe
A the commission instructed the alto
"a ney general to not present the matt
"a of the hog rates this fact BEGAN
81 known to the railroad attorneys al
was incorporated in the argument
r. the railroad attorneys before it BEGAN
f. known to the attorneys for the shil
81 pers.
81 There was no misunderstanding
"A to the attitude of the commission
u regard to the freight rates on hogs
said Mr. Eaton. That matter was di
. cussed by US with the attorneys and
was planned that no record WhateV
should be made but that the attorn
general was simply to ignore tn
phase of the case. But resolution w
introduced and it expressed our vie
on that matter. 1t was we'll understo
by all parties concerned that this W
merely for the instruction privately
- the attorney general, and copies we
"a not to be furnished either the railroa
IA or the representatives Of the shippe
AS a matter of fact this progr;
probably would have been carried
but for the fact that Mr.. Boardm;
attorney for certain packers found {
what was done and secured a copy
the resolution of Nov. 8. When t
turned up in the argument of the ra
roads we were all indignant and +
cause to be and we did what we co
to make the record clear"
AS to how the resolution got i
the hands of Mr.. Boardman and how
finally reached the hands of the re
road attorneys Mr.. Eaton has no p
sonaI knowledge He is emphatic
cSETIn.. l Medicine sss ,s