Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-14
RETAIL MERCHANTS ALSO MEN
AGED ~ APPLICATION OF
RATE RULE NO. 10.
IMPORTANT HEARING Before
IOWA RAiL COMMISSION
Rule Permitting Carload Mixtures
Would Open Door For Mail Order
Houses to Come Into Composition
With Retail Manufae.
tursrs, Wholesalers and Retailers
Join in Protest.
special to Times-Republican.

OpeCial 10 IlNeS-HepuOlcan.
Des Moines, May IA Whatever
others may think about it it is certain
that the jobbers and wholesalers of
Iowa, and the retail merchants with
them, are all opposed to the application
of rule No. TO- to western classifica-
ton territory. or all freight business
west Of Chicago
This fact was made pretty plain at
the hearing given by the railroad COM
mission yesterday. The hearing was
regarded as of such Importance that
Chairman Fyffe, of the western classic
cation committee, who spent a year or
to attend and personally to explain
what the committee was trying to do.
He insisted that the committee did not
desire to increase rates but was en-
gagged largely in working out uniform
ity.
Others present were Commissioner
McVann. Of the Iowa and Nebraska
Wholesale grocers' association. Omaha;
Secretary Wrightman. of the Iowa
Manufacturers Association: ]. ].
Groves, Nevada, president of the Iowa
Retail Merchants Association: e. G.
Wylie, of the Greater Des Moines COM
mittee; E. p. Shoentgen. representing
the Council Bluffs Commercial Club;
Vice President Abbott, Marshalltown.
of the National Association Of Hard
ware Dealers: Samuel Mahon, Ottum-
wa. representing the OttumWa Com
mercial Club; c. ]. Fulton, Fairfield.
representing large manufacturing in
terestS.
Retail Trade Msnaeed.
Those representing the jobbers and
retailers declared that as matter OF
fact the application Of rule No. 10. for
general mixtures of carload shipments,
would result disastrously to all mer-
camille business in Iowa, that 1t would
open the door for mail order houses to
come into competition with retailers.
that it would make 1t possible for
manufacturers to deal more directly
with retailers, that what they call the
'.box car distributors" would flourish.
and in short that the jobbers. the re-
tailers and the dear people would all
be the losers by reason of forced re-
adjustment of business to different
basis.
1.-THE more I study the matter the
more am convinced that rule 10 Is
a Joker intended to injure Iowa jobbins
business" said Mr.. Abbott 1T would
be available for use OF those who would
ship large quantities of foreign goods
into the state in direct competition with
established business. 1t would enable
the manufacturer to reach the consum-
er direct. Now Iowa is not manufac-
turing state. This would introduce
new element Of competition to the In
Jury Of Iowa business.
Mr.. wrightman insisted that In the
end it must be disposed Of as trans
portation question alone and not from
any sociological standpoint. Mr.. Nc
vann took opposite ground and insisted
that rates are made dependent upon
many other things than merely the
cost Of transportation and that due
consideration must be given to business
as 1t exists.
Mr.. Thomas invited and urged the
interested persons to appear In person
before the interstate commerce COM
mission at the Chicago meeting this
month and state their views In full.
The Iowa commission has not taken
sides on the matter and intends merely
to present all the facts, to the inter-
state commerce commission for deter
mination on the merits Of q controversy
REGARDED as Of vast Importance to the
commercial interests Of the state.