Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-15
FINAL ANALYSIS OF DECISION OF
COMMISSION GRATIFYING IN
RESULTS.
ADVANCES GRANTED ARE
SHOWN TO BE ALL LOCAL
Main Point in Decision ls Refusal to
Permit Political influences and Ma
tionaI Administration to Dominate
Acts and Secure Nationwide Ad-
vance in Railroad Rates.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 15.-As the decis-
ion in the advance rate case is further
analysed by those who had hand in
compelling a complete investigation as
against the demanded arbitrary raise
before investigation, it appears that the
victory gained for the shippers and
consumers was much greater than at
first appeared.
Contrary to first impression that the
advances sanctioned would affect BUSH
ness outside of the Central Freight As
ISOLATION territory, it appears that
territorial. hence will not affect any
rates, directly or indirectly into Iowa
and the west.
This means that there was not par
tial but complete success in the
struggle to protect the people of the
west from an advance in rates. That
this fact Is now realized Is shown by
later expressions: for the Railway Age
Gazette concludes that 1t is de
cision which pleases nobody very
much. and E. p. Ripley refers to the
advances as trivial and that the COM
mission gave the railroads "a fraction
OF the fraction they asked for, accom-
panied by sermon upon other and
unrelated matters, which are either i'm
possible of remedy or unimportant."
Objects to Domination.
But the main point Of the decision is
that it did not approve of the scheme
to have the commission secretly or sur
reptitiously approve, on demand Of in
terests holding aloft the threat of bust
ness panic, and under the whip and
spur of domineering political force,
the national government, the general
plan to raise the level Of railroad rates
for the whole United States. That
there was hope the job could be done
without detection is shown by state
ments like this from President F. D.
Underwood. of the Erie:
The commission by its exhaustive
investigation into this requested in
crease has made national issue of it
and has needlessly alarmed the coun-
try and the people, who think they
might suffer. As matter Of fact II
the commission had noiselessly granted
an increase equivalent to $4,000, 900
nobody would have suffered because
no one person or interest would have
been sufficiently affected to suffer Sc
riously. The people Of this country
chew 100000 900 worth OF chewing gum
yearly and do not feel it any more
than they would feel the effect of a
$50,000,00O freight rate increase, be-
cause there is not person in the
country but would have had some
share in the increase and each in
dividual assessment would have proved
so infinitesimal as to pass unnoticed."
The advances permitted in C. F. A.
territory are, as Mr.. Ripley has said,
fraction Of the fraction" wanted.
They will not affect Iowa one cent. So
1t is literally true that, insofar as the
defense aimed at protecting Iowa and
the entire west, 1t was completely sue
cessful. Every rate advance affect
ing Iowa was denied
The Final Analysis.
A Anal analysis develops these
points: The railroads proposed adj
vances directly affecting Iowa on many
thousands of shipments and these
were all denied. For instance, a car
load of cotton piece goods shipped from
New York to Des Moines carries
rate made up by proportional from
New York to the Mississippi river and
proportional from the Mississippi to
Des Moines. 1t was proposed there
should be an advance on the proper
tional to the Mississippi. That would
directly affect the Des Moines con-
sumner. And the railroads proposed an
advance OF per cent on all traffic
from all the Atlantic seaboard and on
all traffic from all the other eastern
states to every point in the state of
Iowa; but all Of these advances on
thru rates are denied. They also pro-
posed per cent advance on all thru
traffic from points west of the Missis-
sippi river to all the eastern states in
official classification territory; and all
these were denied.
All these rates directly affect Iowa.
They cover the great bulk Of Iowa
class traffic. Iowa shippers are far
more deeply concerned in these rates
than in the rates between points in
Iowa. for less than 10 per cent of the
traffic is handled under the latter.
1t thus appears that the rates au-
thorized to be advanced are local
."sSSt ohu cScA Iuc TdCeS from the Z.
F. A. territory. which 1t was desired
to advance, were not permitted to go
up. The western commissions did not
oppose the local advance but speci-
fcally stated no conclusion had been
reached as to that part of the case.
The next big fight will be for the in
crease in western territory rates. 1t is
not quite clear. however, that this is
to be pressed with unanimity. While
George j. Gould Is quoted as saying 1t
will be asked, Chairman Clough, of the
Northern Pacific directors. says that
what we want is plenty Of business
and an assurance that our rates will
not be further reduced"
No more interesting nor important
question is before the public and It will
pay to watch successive steps toward
raising the general level Of rates as a
business stimulator.
LIGHT PLANT TIED UP.