Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-02
TRADE CDNVALES|j|NG
ATTITUDE or HOPEFUL ExPEc.
FANCY PERvApEs sUsl-
NESS WORLD.
BANK REVIEW SEES AID
IN FREIGHT RATE RAlsE
Revealed Attitude Of Commission To-
ward Business Helps More Than
Increase Itself, According to Business
Review Of Iowa National sank-MiI-
lions in STATE Vaults
to r,mes-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Jan. 2.-The attitude OF
hopeful expectancy of the business
world toward the general business sit
uation and the effect of tie recent
raise in eastern freight rates is re-
Elected in the statements of tho Iowa
National Bank in its summary as COM
piled Dec. %. The review refers to
the present situation as business is
convalescing." and adds:
1.-THE improvement is clear and posi-
tive but business Is still weak In
spots and still demands nursing. There
is no danger Of relapse unless some one
gets so enthusiastic as to try to star.
a real boom. Such a move would I'M
questionably result in disaster"
Attention is called by the hank to the
fact that the trade balances have been
evened up with Europe. that dividend
and interest disbursements last year
amount to SOL, 800, 600 as compared to
$94,00OOO0 the year before, and they
probably will amount to 81, 400. 900, 900
this year. On the rate question this is
said:
THE eastern freight rate advance re-
Gently allowed by the interstate COM
merce commission, while important In
itself, assumes much greater import
ance in its evidence to the world that
the needs Of the railroads are receiv-
ing full attention at the hands Of the
commission. It is believed that the de-
NAL Of the petition of the eastern roads
for an increase would have meant adj
ditional railroad receiverships which
would have brought other business
disasters in their wake. The effect OF
the decision is, therefore, far reaching
and even tho, as estimated, the in
creased income to the railroads them
selves may only run from $4,000, 600
to $4,000, 900 annually, this compare
lively modest sum added to the rev.
enues of the railroads would mean an
increase in the general business Of the
country Of more than one million dol
lars per day. The railroads will pay
this money for labor and materials;
the material makers will pay it for la
Dor and raw materials; In the end 1t
all goes for labor and with it the la
borer supplies his needs which means
business in almost every line Of human
endeavor. II any shipper feels that
he has been hit too hard by this rate
increase, we suggest that 1t may prove
cheaper for him than any other form
Of war tax because 1t is an investment
which will Immediately increase BUSH
ness. The commission did not decide
that the railroads themselves deserved
It but did decide that they needed
1T; ii was patent that the country
needed it and, while the railroads get
it first, we all get our part OF that
$40 900, 900 or 340,000.000 finally. 1t Is
hoped that the request for an increase
by the railroads in the Mississippi val
Hey will be taken up Immediately and
disposed Of at an early date. 1t Is OF
the utmost importance that the rail-
roads know what their real incomes
are to be In 1915 as their maturities
alone total 100000 900 without regard
to dividends, interest or financing ex-
tensions, equipment and other I'M
lproyements.
At the close Of business with the
Hast year the state insurance depart
lment had over sixty-one million dol
liars worth of securities on hand De-
longing to the owners Of the insurance
iCOmpdnleS. Lie puSAASoS NsS ~
these companies has been enormous
the past year, as judged by the way
they have piled up their loans In the
office of the commissioner for safe
keeping.
AS an illustration Of the way in
which county officers seek to secure
compensation over and above that
which is contemplated in the statutes
a report from one Of the county exam
liners received the past week showed
that In q certain county the county
i clerks had received over $1,000 on ar
/ order of court appointing them to be
j special referees in probate and fixine
fees for this work The Judge OF the
i court had been induced TO order the
payments. In the same county the
sheriffs had also received $500 In sal
airy above the legal limit for the
county.
One of the very first bills to be in.
Itroduced In the legislature when II
|convenes will be one to authorize cities
with the commission form OF govern
!ment to employ city manager and
turn over the detailed work to him. i
lis known that more than one city OF
the state il about ready to enter upor
this plan, as soon as it Is legal, anc
the bill has already been prepared fol
presentation to the legislature. The
plan will, be to merely give cities the
fright to adopt the plan a. an addi-
ltional feature in the simplified form Of
l<,{% al