Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-27
I[N QUESTION RAISED
CONFERENCE TO BE HELD RE-
oARDlNo FORCED OPERATION
on ATLANTIC RAILROAD.
PORTION OF LINE
SHOWN TO BE PROFITABLE
Question At Issue 10 20 Compel Opera.
ten Of That Division Which Pays
+ sohne Misunderstanding Of New Law
Regarding Rate to Counties Of Costs
+ in Criminal Prosecutions.
special to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, May 27.-Some time
next week there will be held in the
office of the commerce counsel a con-
compel the owners of the Atlantic 4
Southern railroad to operate the rail-
road. Contributors to the fund for the
building Of the road will be present.
Ralph Pringle, Of Red Oak, has been
engaged in looking up certain phases
of the work. Judge Henderson, COM
merce counsel has been at work on
the legal phases of the case. The
patrons of the road are getting anxious
about the situation and are urging that
the case be brought before the rail-
freight rate case has absorbed large
share of the time Of the commerce
counsel and the commissioners.
One interesting question that must
be considered, and it is entirely new,
is as to whether or not a company can
be compelled to operate a part of the
Bile Of paying expenses even though
the system as a whole is found t. be
such as not to permit Of operating
without loss. 1t is possible that it may
be found that the southern half of the
road can be operated and pay expenses.
Examination of the records show that
when the line was operated, while only
half the expense of operation was of
thar n9rt hatwoan
and iVillisca, yet IS per cent of the en-
tire receipts came from business at
that end of the line. This was large
" due to the fact that the Burlingt ton
railroad made joint thru rates that
were advantageous to the patrons to
snip mat way. Now If it is contended
that there can be no power to compel
operation OF a system at loss 1t may
be NECESSARY to divide the system and
undsehke to compel operation of that
part OF II which was, at the time Of
operation, remunerative.
Thesaputh half OF the road, 1t is said.
WAS also better built than the north
part and there Is more business to De
held along the line.
There = some danger Of a nisunder-
standing NJ to the scope Of the new
lay OF the state regarding payment of
c4nvicts and reimbursement Of coun-
ties for expenses OF trial and commit
msMe The fact that the board of con-
trof ID GAktnS ready to put it into force
~'zs widely published last week and
has caused a great many inquiries as
to .detaalA 1t b not probable that
counties wm receive back any very
large sums Of money, but in many
cases viii get back part OF the costs
ofAtrial. The section Of the law re-
1ez1sd to Is as follows:
.Whenever services are rendered by
any r1nmate at any institution under
the supervision and Jurisdiction Of the
board OF control, the board Of control
may. whenever practicable allow such
inmate Compensation which shall not
exceed the amount paid to free labor
70 ra like service or its equivalent. less
such amount that the state is put 20
Tor maintenance as the board may
deem equitable, and in addition to de-
ducf1ng an amount to defray the cost
Of maintenance, the board OF control
may also deduct an amount sufficient
to pay all or a part of the costs taxed
to animate by reason of his commit
menf. Whenever the board of control
deducts an amount from the earnings
OF any inmate for the purpose Of de-
fraying the costs taxed to such inmate
by reason Of his commitment, said
board shall forward the amount to the
clerk OF the district court, or proper
official, and receive his receipt there
for"
=, 1t La because OF this clause in the
laws, already in force by publication,
that Colonel McConlogue some time
ago. as chairman of the board of con-
troll, notified county officials to file with
the board Of control statements show
ing what costs have been taxed to in
mates of the prison and reformatory
1t Is possible that some Of these prison
iers will be able to work OUT a. part
of the costs and the counties thus get
hack some OF that which has been spent
IN trials. But as to any hope that all
Will be got back or that it will, in the
aggregate, amount to fabulous sums.
that Ia entirely without warrant. Some
of the inquiries indicate a misunder-
standing of the matter.
Commissioner Barney, of the food
and dairy department has received such
inquiries from persons interested in the
berry trade as to indicate that again
the berry shippers Of Kansas and the
southwest desire to engage in shipping
Strawberries into Iowa packed in boxes
holding pint and a half each. He has
also had few suggestions that some
such boxes are on the market in Iowa.
OUR CITIZENS DEMAND