Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-01
TH0RNE BOOSTS
FOR KENYON'S
. UNIFORM RATE
Iowa Railroad Commission
er and Ohioan Use Argu-
ments on congressman
Favoring Classification.
TBY f. Fl. HANSON. |

Washington, D. c., Jan. 31.-Clifford
Thorne. chairman OF the Iowa state
railroad commission. spent the middle
If the week in Washington at the
hearing before the house committee
on Interstate and foreign commerce
on Senator Kenyon's bill for uniform,
rate classification, to be made by the
interstate commerce commission.
Mr.. Thorne represented the national
association of railroad commissioners
together With Qr~Pe G0thlin, The nEasi
dent OF the association, who fs chair
man of the public service commission
Of Ohio. These two men we're the only
ones who appeared for the bill, al
though number Of witnesses, headed
by ex-senator Faulkner of West Vir'
ginia. representing various railroads,
appeared against it.
The Kenyon bill has already passed
the senate and If it passes the house
and is signed by the president this
session, 1t will be great boon to
western shippers The railroads are
now more interested in delay than
anything else.
The witnesses against, the bill
claimed that they did not oppose a
uniform classification of rates, but
that they thought the railroads them
selves and not the interstate com.
merce commission, should make them
This position was assailed with the
argument that the railroads had never
made a uniform classification and
we're offering to do SO only because a
legislative effort Is now being made
to compel such a classification.
Mr.. Gothlin said. after the hearing
adjourned for the day:
81 sincerely hope the committee sees
fit to report this bill at this session
and it goes through. One can never
tell what congressional committees
will do. however, and the best we can
do is to give them our side OF the case
with all the strength we can"
Attends Reception.
d A. Willis OF Muscatine was one
of the witnesses before the ways and
means committee this week during
the tariff hearings. Mr.. Willis spoke
for the men interested in the pearl
button industry, one Of the most
heavily protected in the. country.
On Tuesday night the Iowa manu-
facturer was the guest of Representa-
tive Pepper at the reception In the
white house, rendered to congress by
the president and Mrs. Taft. M. F
Cronin of Muscatine Mr.. Peppers
new secretary, was also the guest OF
his member on that occasion.
Ladies Received Friends.
IL f0 1f a
tive Kendall of the sixth district, and
Mrs Prouty, wife of Mr.. Prouty of tle
seventh, together with the wives OF
the other members who reside in the
Dewey hotel, received on Tuesday
afternoon.
Mrs. Towner, wife of Representative
Towner Of the eighth, is at home on
the second and fourth Tuesdays of the
month.
Honor Sherman's Memory.
On motion of Senator Cummins Sat
urday, the fifteenth day of February
has been set aside for exercises In
commemoration of the life. character
and public service OF the late Vice
President Sherman
committee of three senators, com
posed of Senators Root and O'Gorman
of New York and Curtis Of Kansas
has been appointed to make the ar
-angements for the ceremonies and
invitations will be extended the presi
dent. the justices of the supreme
court, the speaker and members of the
house of representatives, and other
officials In washington, to attend.
Made Strange Request.
The late Representative Sylvester
"a. Smith Of California, who died Sun
day. was an Iowan by birth. He was
born near Mt. Pleasant In 1858 and