Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-03-21
NOTABLE VICTORY
FOR THE PEOPLE
Upsetting of Western Classical
ton 81 Means Much.
RAILROADS LOSE BIG CASE
Chairman Thorne of iowa Commits
sion Tells How the Shippers and
Consumers Of the West 5ene-
fit by the Decision.

fit by the Decision.
Des Moines, la, March 13.-The peo-
pie of the United States have had
Iowa to thank for a number OF ex-
cellent things. and to- the list must
be now added an achievement that
means a great deal to the shippers OF
the entire west from the Mississippi
to the Pacific Especially are those
shippers under obligations to the Iowa
state board Of railroad commissioners
and its chairman, Clifford Thorne.
This achievement is the suspension
and revision, by the interstate COM
merce commission. of an entire freight
classification, known as Western clas-
sification No 81, and on March 81 the
several hundred changes made to con
form to the commissions order Will
go into effect. Shippers and consum-
ers alike will benef+ by the revision.
Iowa Leads the Fight
Iowas commission was by no means
alone in the good work, but it took
the initiative in the case and assumed
the chief part of the burden OF pre-
pairing and trying it. Sixteen western
state railroad commissions united In
the fight, and Mr.. Thorne was the
chairman of the committee represent
ing them. He gives much credit to
Benjamin L. Jacobson, who had gen
eral charge of gathering the evidence
and preparing the specific cases for
trial, and to A. D. Beals, Iowa's rate
expert.
Mr. Thorne today had this to say OF
the big case and its outcome:
"One day during the summer of 1911
was seated in hotel parlor in Mil
waukee, In one end of the room there
were sixteen men in their shirtsleeves
talking and listening occasionally tc
person standing In the center Of the
room; two or three minutes were al
lowed to the gentleman talking; he
took his seat and another person told
a short story; and SO on, during the
course OF the whole day.
Powerful Group Of Men.
This small group of men exercised
more power than any other similar
group, perhaps, in the United States
Some nine hundred railroads, large
and small, interested in traffic be
tween the Mississippi river and the Pa
cific coast, have organized what they
call a western classification commit
tee of about eighty-five members
These eighty-flve men have selected 6
subcommittee of sixteen men This
subcommittee, which is dominated by
one or two individuals, determines the
freight ratings on over 1000 articles
on which 35,0OO,00O people have tc
pay traffic between about 10000
towns, located between the Mississip
pi river and the Pacific coast ThiI
is one of the three important classic
cation committees in America, thi
other two being the official, covering
the northeastern portion of the Unit
ed States, and the Southern.
For the first time in the history 0
American railroads an entire classic
cation of one of these three, grea
freight classification committees hal
been suspended by the federal govern
ment. And the committee have de
scribed has been makingsa revision O
its former work, In accordance will
the decision which was rendered b,
the interstate commerce commission
recently, known as the decision in tn
case of Western classification No. 81
The railroads have just submitted Il
the commission a list of several hun
bred changes in this classification t
conform to the commissions order,ant
these will go into effect March 81
The opinion in this case, next to tn
one rendered in the express case, /
perhaps the longest ever written b,
the interstate commerce commission
The case is of national importance
Many of it's features are unique, an,
Of profound concern to the consumer
OF the country.
Sixteen States United.
Many shippers and shippers' OIL
ganizations we're parties to this case
But perhaps the most interesting fea
ture was the fact that on behalf O
the consumers the railroad commits
sions of sixteen great states appear
ed. These states were Illinois, wis
consin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri
Arkansas. Louisiana, Texas, Okla
homa. Nebraska, South Dakota, Mort
Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Washins
ton and Oregon. On the one hand w
had the representatives of some min
hundred railroads, and opposed {
them the representatives Of sixtee
state governments, with the interstat
commerce commission as the decidin
tribunal The hearing in the cas-
lasted about a year.
Western Classification No. 81 IL
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