Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-17
STATE RAILROAD COMMISSION TO
HEAR COMPLAINTS, OF
CITIES.
WILL PAVE WAY FOR
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION,
Petition Of Residents Of Cedar Rapids
For New Station to Bring General
Question Before State 1oard-Little
Power Possessed Under Present
Laws-union Station Problem Big.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des AIoines. Oct 17.-One Of the mex,
big questions 70 be taken up by the
state railroad commission, of local
| nature, is that,of helping to secure bet
ter terminal facilities in some of the
cities of the state. The commission
has, at one time or another in recen,
years, given attention to oet.erment of
the tracks, to safer grade crossings to
vice, to safety devices at crossings.
and to all phases of the freight rate
question. Nothing has ever been done
to induce building better passenger
and freight stations in the terminal
cities.
About all that the law provides is
an authority on the part of the COM
mission to compel railroads at crossing
or junction points to maintain JOINT
stations under certain circumstances.
Now thes problem of additional or
different station facilities IS before the
board. 1t may be that about as far as
they will get will be such develop
the legislature in providing some spe-
cial legislation not hitherto considered.
On Nov. "a the commission will take
up the petition of many residents of
Cedar Rapids to compel The North
| western and Rock Island companies to
i construct new and additional passen-
ger and freight facilities IN the west
side of the Cedar river in the city. A
| big petition is on file. 1t will be il good
deal of question whether the COM
| mission can issue summary order for
a new station. But the matter is to
be gone into thoroughly
Later, on Dec. /. the commission will
take up the still more important ques-
ton of ordering or inducing the six
or seven railroad companies having
terminals in Council Bluffs TO get to-
gether and maintain one union passen-
ger station instead of the scattered
ones now in use. Some Of these are
junction roads and some are not. The
problem is complicated in many ways.
1t will not be settled off hand what
should be done or what can be done.
But the commission will enter upon
consideration.
After these cases are disposed Of
| there are other situations in the cities
OF Iowa that will demand attention.
The>union station problem is altogeth-
er one of the largest yet tackled.
Cards for the census returns to be
taken next year in connection with the
| assessment of all Iowa property are
now being printed There will be q
card for every person in the state.
| These cards this time will be made
not more than half the size yof the
! cards provided ten years ago. These
| older cards contain the material, but
| they have never been placed so that
they can be got at easily. They were
too large to be placed in racks.
The new card will fit into standard
sizes of-card index cases SO that they
| will be easily accessible. When the
census has been taken and every per-
| son is listed it will be possible to turn
| quickly to the record and find the card
for any person in the state.
| Some new things are m the cards.
For instance. blank for church sffili-
alton, another for extent of education
and one for marking effectiveness. On
the cards for farmers will be addi-
| tlonal blanks to show the crop returns
and similar statistics. 1t is required in
the code that the military records of
| men be given, tho the state has since
| the last census printed complete list
of the soldiers living in the state. AS.
SCISSORS will fill out these cards and
| they will come direct to the state Off
Gals.
| The franchise fight in Des Moines is
becoming almost bitter. 'rhe franchise
| del lad Inv ha
| pany is one made by attorneys of the
! company. The effort is 70 put < over"
by fierce campaign of publicity.
| The fact that the Schmidt publicity
bureau handling the business for the
street car company is Identical with
the Hamilton publicity bureau which
is handling the business for the de-
| mecracy in Iowa, and the further fact
that the belief is prevalent that
Schmidt wants to either get his own
| franchise or wait and have the legisla-
ture'X him out, is causing Il revulsion
of feeling here in thief ranch.se matter.
Many of the la Dor unioas that were
formerly lined up for the franchise are
| now turning against 1t.
For one thing II is now being shown
| that there is no protection Whatever
for the laboring men in the franchise
other than reliance on a city council,
and when the franchise Is secured the
com pany will be In a position to con-
! troll the city council The better ella So
Of the labor leaders are against the
| scheme.
The fact that Senator Cummins has
recently won for labor such a great
victory in national legislative circles
Is being taken into consideration in the
home town OF Senator Cummins. Some
| Of the laboring men are reaching the
| conclusion that 1T would not be appro-
pirate for Des Moines of all the cities
to adopt franchise which would
| make OF labor commodity, 40 soon at
| ter congress declaring-at the instance
| OF Cummins--that 1t Is not commod-
ity This phase OF the question is just
| beginning to attract attention.
When the advance rate case is called
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