Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-10
BLENDERS FOR FARMERS.

The Greater DeS MONIES ASSOCldAion'
Des Moines, Iowa. Gentlemen: Your
communication Of recent date request
ing that our board Of aldermen pass
resolution asking the railroad commits
sioners to prohibit the railroads from
making low homeseekers rates out OF
Iowa, was duly received. After carefui
consideration the council voted unan-
imously to receive and file the COM
munication without action and request
ed the mayor to write you explaining
the reason why. IL saTiig
In our Judgment IL Is not the home
seekers rates that 10 taking the people
out of Iowa and causing our state to
actually decrease in population IN the
fact Of general increase in the country
at large These rates provide for
round trip. bringing the people back as
well as taking them out, and putting
binders upon the farmers will not pre-
vent their seeing things that are wrong
in Iowa and seeing things that are right
in Canada, any more than 1t would the
hundreds of manufacturers that are
taking millions of dollars out OF the
United States and investing 1T In a
country where the demagogues do not
have full sway, and where property
rights are respected and public utilities
are not confiscated Iowa has been in
iured by i'll advised agitation against
all forms of business and manufactur-
ing, and against the common carriers
who are the arteries Of business. and
whose prosperity has recently been said
by President Wilson: 1T is intimately
related to the prosperity of all forms
of business and Of the country as a
whole" This agitation has resulted In
curtailing the efficiency Of the trans
portation lines and preventing their ex-
pansion and thus deprived our in
dustries of adequate transportation ia
cilities so necessary to their growth
Think Of it, not mile of railorad be-
ing built in the great state OF Iowa
where thousands are in need of addi-
tionaI transportation. The main trunk
lines Of this state have been forced to
a policy of retrenchment that will soon
prove ruinous, and all of the minor
railroads have been unable to pay oper-
ating expenses and have been forced
into the hands of receivers. These lines
include such large enterprises as Fort
Dodge, Des MONIES 81 Southern, Des
Moinos, Iowa Falls 6; Northern. The
Atlantic North and South, and the
Abba &; Centerville.
Some years ago our railroads granted
reduction in the Iowa tariffs on live
stock to packing houses within the
state, thus helping our farmers anc
local industries. This was helpful tc
the whole state If ii had been stopped
there. but within the year some so
called reformers backed by certain
commercial bodies asked for like re-
duction in live stock rates to Chicago
and forced the railroads to grant them
and the rates were made so low as
to more than compete with the already
low rates to Ottumwa,. Cedar Rapids
Des Moines. Marshalltown and F'or'
Madison, thus helping !. the Chicago
packing houses to the disadvantage Of
our own packing houses in the towns
above named, and such achievements
are pointed to with pride by our com
merce experts 81.
One railroad commissioner IN MS
campaign literature for example. Calls
attention to this wonderful achieve
ment and succeeds in foolinE the peo-
pie, making them believe that he has
benefited them, when in fact he has
injured them all he possibly can. Now
we find this same gentleman chasing
up and down the country advocating al
kinds OF wild socialistic ideas such al
government ownership Of railroads ant
showing all kinds Of statistics and com
| pilation Of figures. God knows wher'
he gets them. Certainly not from any
thing that has ever transpired on THU
| earth, for neither figures nor his tall
represent the true condition, either II
i this country or in foreign countries
| where government ownership has beel
tried and invariably been proven
failure and q heavy tax on the people.
Again bill after bill before our legfs
lature backed by these same reformer
in order to gain the votes Of the un
thinking is aimed at the prosperity Q