Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-15
STOCK Shippers
GREATLY AROUSED
FILE VIGOROUS PROTEST WITH
COMMERCE BOARD AGAINST
RATE REHEARINo.
DEMAND RAILROADS QUIT
HARAssING SHIPPERS
Because Business 10 Dull in Some
Lines, Toll Should Not Be Exaetsd
From Others, Declares Protest-Ef-
fort to Advance Rates Becomes
Continuous Performance.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Oct. 15.-Western live
interests are much aroused over the
efforts of the railroads to get a rehear-
ing in the western advance rate case.
They have filed with the interstate
commerce commission protest against
a rehearing in which they declare their
position with great vigor and demand
that the railroads let the shipping pub
lie alone and stop harassing it.
The protest is by the American Ma
tional Live Stock Association, the Ma
tional Wool Growers Association, the
Cattle Raisers Association of Texas
and the Corn Belt Meat Producers As
ISOLATION, which has powerful menu
bership in the middle west.
LET Us Alone,' Say Shippers.
There ought to come time when
the shipping public can be let alone by
the railroads in their constant and per-
sistent efforts to advance rates." say the
live stock interests. when the COM
mission has decided a case the public
should rest in peace for the two years
limitation period provided by law
The continuous performance Of the
railroads to advance rates and their In
satiable appetite for money, from the
pockets of the shippers, particularly the
farmers who support them, can only
be stopped by the commission refusing
these applications and putting stop
to the compulsory expenditure OF
money by the shippers to answer these
constant appeals Of the railroads for
more money. We urge the seriousness
of the situation as matter Of expense
to shippers which must be stopped
After declaring that the railroads
have completely failed to show that the
advances proposed in the rates on live
stock products are reasonable and that
the railroads have not met the burden
of proof put on them by law. the pro-
test of the live stock organizations
says:
Pluckins the Shipper.
Shall the railroads exact 1t (more
income) by unreasonable rates on one
commodity or off one shipper and not
another, without any other proof than
that the railroad needs the money? The
law gives the carrier no right to ex-
act more than is reasonable. whether
that will make money for the carrier
or not. The command OF the law stops
the carrier at what Is reasonable and
it does not measure that by the car
rier's necessities.
The position Of these railroads is
that when business becomes dull and
the traffic falls off,. the surviving
members Of the community must pay
higher rates in order that the railroads
may prosper while others suffer the
effects of hard times.
"This is in effect the demand now
confronting the shippers. The boldness
with which it is brought before the
commission is amazing"
The stock interests charge that the
railroads are not economically managed
but are spending vast sums extrava-
gantly. They allege rates on live
stock and products are already un-
reasonably high. And they insist that
II there is a rehearing, separate hear
ing on the reasonableness of rates on
stock and products be allowed.