Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-05
MOST IMPORTANT
VICTORY EVER WON
COMMISSIONER THoahE RE.
VIEWS DECISION IN IOWA
RATE CASES.
cULMiNATioN OF ERROR
COVERING MANY YEARS
Railroads Kept Iowa on Blacklist and
Set Up Enormous Handicap to In.
dustriaI DsvsIopmsnt-Ali Previous
Rulings and Legislation Of No Real
vaIue-Iowa Wins Without Aid.
;pecial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Aug. 5.-The decision
of the interstate commerce commits
sion in the Iowa rate cases was the
most important victory ever won, or
that ever will be won, for the indus
trial development of the Hawkeye
state.
This is the view of all those who
have had to do with the cases as ex-
pressed by Clifford Thorne, who had
more to do with them than any other
IT corresponds with all that has been
said repeatedly in this correspondence
about the Importance of the cases
The people of Iowa have not had a
very clear conception CT the wide
spread and far-reaching Importance OF
this legal battle which has just culmi-
mated in an order that will effect every
city and town of the state.
The decision in the Iowa rate
cases." said Mr.. Thorne, "goes over
the whole ground of the rates of the
railroads into and out OF Iowa. 1t is
the elimination Of efforts that long
have been made to secure fair rates
and an open field to Iowa manufact-
ures and business.
Iowa Long eIaekIisted.
Iowa has for many years been
blacklisted by the railroads. Iowa has
been laboring under and enormous
handicap in the development Of hel
industries. The reason for this black
listing of Iowa has been that Iowa has
been more active than any other state
in securing legislation and the regu-
lation Of railroads. Iowa has suffered
from the retaliation inflicted by reason
of our activity.
This punishment Of Iowa Is nc
ing that whereas the growth OF
the nation in population the las,
decade was over twenty-one pei
cent. Iowa, alone Of the states. had
lost population. There was a reason
for this, and it is not hard to discover
The railroads themselves produced ev-
idence that Industries had been NOV
ing out Of Iowa and they referred te
it as an agricultural state and not 8
manufacturing state.
"The activity Ct Iowa commenced
away back: in the Granger days,
when Iowa had more grange than an,
other state Of the union. Iowa led II
the Granger movement to get fai
rates from the railroads. It was lows
that in 1874 asked congress to regulat,
railroads. 1t was Iowa that set thu
pace in the matter OF state regula
ton. 1t was an Iowa governor, Lar.
rabee. who presided over the grea
convention Of Commercial bodies II
st. Louis in 1904 which chrystalized
the demand for effective amendment OF
the interstate commerce law. 1t was
Deliver and Hepburn, both Of Iowa
who handled the bill for that amend
ment. IT was Cummins who placed
on the railroads the burden of Justify
ing rate advances.
Nov all this was important, very
important, of immense value to the
country, for it was laying properly
the foundation for the system thai
will work out for Justice to every city
and every community Of the country
These were the various steps leading
up to effective rate regulation.
No Real Value Until Now.
But all this was of little real prac.
teal value to us people of Iowa unit
this decision just made. Now 1t Is al
of practical value and the effect Is
going to be felt in the state and for al
time. Until this decision there hao
never been any comprehensive plar
for interstate rates for Iowa prepared
by the commission. Now we get ar
order that Iowa must be treated a.
states elsewhere; in short. that the
II thai
blacklist where it has been so many
years.
1--WE secured regulation Of state
rates under Larrabee; but that was
relatively unimportant because OF
such q small part Of our business with
the railroads being wholly within the
state. The first time any FORWARD
step in the same direction was evel
taken relating to our interstate rates
was when we secured the order for the
reduction rates as to live stock some
wears ago. The interstate commerce
commission ordered complete revis-
ion Of live stock rates. eliminating the
irregular and inexcusable grouping
and grading the rates properly across
the state. Now we will get the same
as to all business.
Rates to All Points East.
"The order Of the commission goes
to the extent Of ordering revision OF
the interstate rates on freight, botf
the class and commodity rates, to anc
from Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
and all points east. The railroads mus
reduce their rates from all Atlantic
coast points to the Mississippi river
points in Iowa cents hundred pounds
for, first class freight and correspond
ingly for other classes of freight. They
must reduce their rates from Missouri
river points west 10 cents hundred