The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-03-21
NOTABLE VICTORY
FOR THE PEOPLE
Upsetting of Western Classitica-
ton 81 Means Much.
RAILROADS LOSE BIG CASE
Chairman Thorne Of Iowa Commits
sion Tells How the Shippers and
Consumers Of the West Bene-
fit by the Decision.

Des Moines, Ia, March 13.-The peo-
pie Of the United States have had
Iowa to thank for a number of ex-
cellent things, and to he list must
be now added an achievement that
means a great deal to the shippers or
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
n revision, by the interstate com
merce commission, Of an entire frelght
classification, known as Western clas-
sification No. 81, and IN March 81 the
several hundred changes made TO con-
form to the commissions order VIII
go into effect. Shippers and consurn-
ers alike will benefit by the revision.
Iowa Leads the Fight.
Iowa's commission was by no means
alone in the good work, but 1t 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 70
Benjamin l.. Jacobson, who had gen
eral charge Of gathering the evidence
and preparing the specific cases for
trial, and to A. D. Beals, lowa's rate
expert.
Mr.. Thorne today had this to say Of
the big case and It's outcome:
One day during the summer OF 1911
| was seated in a hotel parlor in Mil
waukee. In one end of the room there
were sixteen men in their shirtsleeves,
talking and listening occasionally to
a person standing in the center of the
room; two or three minutes were al
lowed to the gentleman talking; he
look 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
IL SIIldii, III oiAi w
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-ive men have selected q
subcommittee of sixteen men. This
subcommittee, which is dominated by
one or two individuals, determines the
freight ratings on over 1000 articles
on which $4,000, 900 people have to
pay traffic between about 10000
towns, located between the Mississip
pi river and the Pacific coast. This
Is one Of the three important c~lassifi
cation committees in America, the
other two being the official, covering
the northeastern portion of the Unit
ed States. and the Southern.
For the first time in the history O
American railroads an entire classitl
cation of one of these three grea'
freight classification committees has
been suspended by the federal govern
ment. And the committee | have de
scribed has been making a revision o.
it's former work, in accordance witt
: the decision which was rendered b.
the interstate commerce commission
recently, known as the decision in thu
case Of Western classification No. 81
The railroads have just submitted tt
the commission a list of several hun
dred changes In this classification tt
conform to the commissions order ,ant
! these will go into effect March 81
The opinion In this case, X to thu
one rendered in the express case, II
perhaps the longest ever written b,
the interstate commiss sion
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 or
CARNATIONS were 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 We're Illinois, Wis
Id consin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas. Okla
e homa. Nebraska, South Dakota, Mort
Dakota, Colorado, Nevada. Washing
. ton and Oregon. On the n hand W
had the representatives OF some min
hundred railroads. and opposed t
them the representatives OF sixtee
state governments, with the interstat
: commerce commission as the decidin
tribunal. The hearing in the cas-
lasted about a yea
Ouyoctorr C1occiRooffCn NJ K "