Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-19
STATE coMMiseIoN FORMALLY
ENTERS CONTEXT INVOLVING
planned iNcREAsE.
$4,000 eco PER YEAR
is PRIZE cohrEsrED FOR
Protest Sent to Interstate Commerce
Board Demanding Full Hearing Be.
fore Rate Boost 10 lnausuratsd-
RaiIro ads Claim Advance 10 Nsess.
sary to Meet Operating Cost.
Special to rimes-Repuplican

SpSCldl ~ 4lIHSS"INSpupliSohs
Des Moines, May ia monster le
gal battle with a s50.000,000 a year
prize. and more later, is one in which
the state Of Iowa. on behalf of all the
people OF iowa, is about to engage.
1t has been definitely decided the
state OF Iowa is going to take hand
in the controversy over the freight
rates which has been precipitated by
the railroad magnates, not now at
least in opposition to the demanded 5
per cent increase in rates, but to tho
extent Of insisting that an exhaustive
investi cation of the facts shall be made
before any such proposal is given Sc
rious consideration"
This is to be the biggest legal fight
over the freight tax ever planned Iowa
had a hand in the last one and heipel
to prevent the increase: this time
Iowa is going in deeper and more fully
equipped than ever before. prepared to
compel showing of every fact of in
terest and to secure the protection OF
Iowa people. The railroad commission
will take it up right at the start and
with the assistance Of the commerce
counsel will appear before the inter-
state commerce commission at every
hearing and in all arguments. The
Ioy-a commission has entered on rec
lrd an order to that effect. The secre-
tary, under instructions, has filed a
formal protest with The commission
at Washington. which puts Iowa into
the case officially.
Claim of tho Roads,
The suit was started by Messrs. Will
lard. Rea and Brown as committee
OF the railroads in the official ciassl-
fication territory, the petition to the
commis sion asking for an advance of
per cent fiat on all rates of every kind.
The claim is, in brief, that operating
expenses have increased for the roads,
that wages have gone up, that all sup
plies cost more, that interest rates are
higher. that there has been enorm Gus
expenditures for equipment and bet
terInent land that it is necessary that
the railroads have more money to carry
on business and make extensions.
These claims are the same as in 1910
when the roads asked for an increase
on commodity rates only; but were
unable to convince the interstate COM
mission they were warranted at that
time. The roads now ask reopeninS
of the case with modified askings.
The increase would give to the of
fetal classification, or eastern roads.
about 100000 year now. 1t would
mean, also if the advance is approved.
that SINH liar advances would be secured
in western and southern territory IN
a short time.
The proposed advance would mean
"A cents increased cost for every hun
dred pounds of freight into Iowa from
the far east. on first class, with lesser
sums on other classes.
The advance would mean an Increase
in price of hundreds Of articles of
daily use. in fact everything which
comes from the Atlantic seaboard.
The Iowa railroad commission now
has a fully equipped rate bureau pre-
pared 10 make investigations. The case
will be in the personal charge of Cliff
ford Thorne and the entire commits
sion consisting of himself and Messrs.
Ketchum and Palmer. with Counsel
Henderson. will attend the hearings.
The commission will take the position
that if the increase is clearly justified
it should be granted, but that posi-
tive showing of such necessity must
ilISl DS iiS >eaSS NA'' r. O'~S~N'S
take a year or more to present.
Iowa Commission Acts.
The Iowa railroad commission as
preliminary to the participation in the
case desired by Iowa people. adopted
a resolution substantially the same as
that adopted prior to the former ad-
vanced rate case, as follows:
Whereas, railway companies OPP
Grating in official classification terri
tory have petitioned the interstate
commerce commission for the privilege
of making a general advance of per
cent in the freight rates and the same
will materially affect all shippers and
con sumers in the state Of Iowa; there
fore be it
Resolved that each member of the
board and the commerce counsel is
hereby authorized to attend all th2
hearings which shall be held before the
interstate commerce commission in
volving the said matter to represent
this board a said hearings; ard to in
cur all necessary expense incident to
the preparation ard presentation to
the interstate commerce commission
of all evidence, and oral or printed
arguments concerning the issues in
volved and reasonably necessary to
protect the interests of Iowa shippers
and consumers. and that such expense
be paid from the proper funds Of the
sta tie: and the secretary is hereby au-
thorized to file an answer to the pc
tition of the said carriers requesting
thorough and exhaustive investiga-
ton Of all matters involved"
Protest to Washington.
In accordance Herewith the secre-
tary of the commission, George l.. Nc
LaughIin, sent the following communi-
cation to the interstate commerce COM
mission in Washington:
This board has been informed that
the railway companies operating in Of
fetal classification territory have re-
Gently filed a petition with your honor
able body asking the right. to make
general advance in freight rates
amounting to per cent.
Representative commercial organi-
cations in this state have asked this
board to protest against said advance
until the facts urged as justifying the
same shall have been thoroughly In
vestigated, and to take all the neces-
sary steps looking toward the protec-
ton of the interests OF Iowa shippers
and consumers
I'VE find that the great bulk of our
merchandise comes to Iowa from
points east Of Chicago. This Is also
true of a, number of important COM
modities. We find that lows will be