Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-12
COMMISSION RULING
SAVES THOUSANDS OF DOL.
LARS TO FARMERS.
NOTABLE VICTORY FOR
rHoRNE AND HENDERSON
Action Of Commission Largely Due to
Showing Of Iowa Men Who Had
Charge Of Case For Commissions Of
Western states-Averass Of $4.1s
Per Carload Saved on Cattle.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, Aug 1.-THE interstate
commerce commissions refusal to
grant the increase in livestock and
grain rates asked for by the railroads
in the western rate cases Is regarded
! here as a signal victory for Commits
sioner Clifford Thorne and Commerce
Counsel ]. H. Henderson. These two
men went into these cases exhaustive
! ly and 1T is said that no one, not even
the railroads, presented the mass of
evidence that Thorne and Henderson
put forth.
Had these rates been granted It
would have cost Iowa shippers of hogs
and cattle alone hundreds of thousands
Of dollars annually and 1t would have
raised the rates on grain one cent per
hundred pounds.
Average Of s4.1s Saved.
Figures compiled by the Iowa COM
mission show that the advance on cat
tie would have amounted to about
s4.1S per carload to Chicago on an av-
erage shipment. This average was ar
rived at after figuring what the pro-
254 stations in the state. The rates to
Chicago would have been Increased on
hogs about 1915 per car. horses s. so.
sheep in double deck cars s41s. and
in single deck cars s19s. In the year
1918, which was the last normal year
for livestock business as 1914 was
poor year because of the foot and
mouth disease. Iowa shipped to the
Chicago market alone 44,574 car loads
OF cattle. or thirty eight per cent Of
all Of the cattle shipped to Chica 60
the largest stock market in the world.
ard 52,S2s head of hogs or fifty per
cent of all the hogs shipped to Chi
caeo. Apply the average increase as
proposed by these rates in the present
case of s4.1S per car for cattle. 1t
would have cost Iowa shippers S1s6.31s
on cattle alone to Chicago and on hogs
it would have cost them S19S.633
These are for shipments to Chicag
only. based on the average cost from
$50 OF more shipping points in the
state. From this it can readily be seen
that the increases on livestock would
have been enormous. The same is true
of grain and would have meant that
the farrnsers would have received
practically one cent per bushel less
for their grain at their home elevator
because adding one cent per hundred
pounds on the cost Of shipping would
have been met by grain buyers by TAX
ing off that one cent from the buying
price.
Livestock Totals one-Fourth.
Practically one fourth of all Of the
shipping done in Iowa is grain and
livestock. OF this grain is by far the
larger per cent Nevertheless they are
the two most important industries IN
the state. figured from any standpoint,
and a raise IN those rates and particu-
larly the income Of the Iowa farmer
most materially.
It is pointed out here that the in
crease granted the railroads in coal
rates will result beneficially- to Iowa
coal operators inasEnnch as their busi-
ness is largely local and it will tend
to reduce somewhat the competition
from outside operators who have been
able to ship in coal at very low rates
The soft coal tonnage over the rail-
roads in Iowa is also very heavy as
shipments Of soft coal amount to 22e1
per cent of the total tonnage Of the
state.
Had The proposed increased rate on
horses gone into enect N would nave
cost SSS.13 to ship a car load OF horses
from Council Bluffs to Chicago where
as the present rate is $3.50.
The average per cent Of advance in
the rates proposed on livestock. as fg-
ured on shipments from sixty-five
towns on the Northwestern line be-
tween Council Bluffs and Clinton to
Chicago. Peoria or to St Paul Is shown
in the following:
Cattle Hogs Sheep. Horses.