Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-12
GREAT VICTORY FOR
0NAS|OCK Shippers
Rul1No or STATE RAILROAD
COMMISSION IN LlvEsTock
eHipMENrs.
MiNtMuM WEIGHT FOR CAR
LOTS Is EsrABLIsHeo
Minimum Length Of Car on Interstate
Shipments Aboiishsd-Wiil Save
$4,000 Per Year on Shipments to
Iowa Packing Reconsideration UP
for Some Years.
Special to rime.-Republ,can.

TOR some wears.
Special to Times Republican,
Des Modnee, Aug. 12.-Iowa livestock
of dollars by q decision of the railroad
commission today abolishing what Is
called the minimum length Of car for
livestock in intrastate shipments and
fixing minimum weight for such car
load lots regardless Of car length. In
effect it is refusal to grant the de-
mand Of the railroads for an increase
In the minimum to correspond to that
which has been allowed In interstate
traffic.
The order Of the Iowa board today
provides that hereafter, without regard
generally to length Of cars. the mini
mum weights Of carload lots shall be:
For fat cattle, $4,000 pounds; for stock
cattle, 10000 pounds; for hogs, $4,000
pounds: for sheep in single deck cars.
10000 pounds; for sheep in double deck
cars, 10000 pounds. These will govern
as to cars without regard to size ex-
cept as to fat cattle where. IL cars OF
shorter length than thirty-six feet are
ordered, the minimum is to be 10000
pounds.
Some years ago the commission made
an order changing the mslimum car
length from thirty-one feet to thirty
six feet, but entered an exception that
the change should not Immediately go
into effect. It was on q motion of the
railroads to abolish this exception that
that the ruling today was made. But
the rule as to increase in car length
will be permitted to go into effect as to
cars containing horses and mules.
Saves $4,000 Per Year.
It is roughly estimated that If the
exception had been abolished and the
new rule, increasing the minimum
length put into force az desired by the
railroads It would have meant an in
crease Of at least $4,000 a year in ship
ping charges from Iowa points to three
or four packing centers in the state.
Resistance to the proposed raise in
the minimum length, which would have
meant increase In minimum weight.
was made by the shippers and pack
ers. The commission decided the case
because the raising and fattening Of
livestock is perhaps the most important
industry of the state and should not be
discouraged
The commission found, however. that
there were no precedents for their ac-
ton and the opinion and decision filed
setting forth clearly the reasons for
abandoning the car length and adopt
ing weight minimum, Is probably the
first Of the kind ever made Of record.
thot ha raiRA in fho mi nj mn
was adopted for interstate commerce
without contest
The decision will be hailed with de-
light by the Iowa shippers and packers.
The commission's Ruling.
The commission rules in part as fol-
lows:
There is quite general tendency for
stock men In Iowa to buy feeders" at
the Missouri river markets or on the
range. chip them to their farms in
Iowa, fatten them for six months or
year, and then send them on to market.
Where a stockman ships to his farm a
car holding $4,000 pounds Of cattle to
fatten, and later ships them out in a
$4,000 pound car, he finds that he has
one or more steers that will not go in
the car; this steer must be sold at a
sacrifice perhaps to a neighbor. or held
over for another season. This applies
equally to any number Of cars handled
in the same manner. To meet this
situation the commission has concluded
that lower minimum should evist on
stock cattle than on fat cattle This
will permit Of smaller load Of feed
ers than frfat cattle. A similar differ
ence in the rates on feeders and fat
cattle has been in vogue for many
years In this and other states.
"One Of the largest packing plants in
the state IL located at Cedar Rapids.
This Arm submitted exhaustive data
covering receipts Of hogs during the
two months Of May and June. 1911.
During May. 1911. there were s73 cars
Of hogs received, on which freight was
paid (under existing minimum for
$4,000 pounds in excess Of the actual
weight of live animals; during the
month Of June this excess amounted to
10000 pounds. In other words during
those two months, operating on present
minimums, freight was paid to the rail-
way companies on 1,270,190 pounds,
which were not shipped. At Sioux City
similar records were kept showing this
excess paid for. but not shipped. during
q period Of ~ days, amounted to 1884,
900 pounds.
Conclusion.
I'VE And that where the conditions
are such that low minimums are essen
tial to any particular kind of traffic,
and are demanded, that there has been
q general tendency among the railway
companies to reduce such minimums,
or to leave them alone. altho the ca
pacity Of freight cars has been con-
stantly increasing. We further find
that low minimums are necessity in
the shipping of live stock in Iowa, be-
cause Of the size and weight Of the
animals. the shrin<age and loss occa-
!, stoned by undue crowding, and because
of the size OF the ordinary load the. or
dinasy farmer or shipper does in fact
send g market. due to the size Of