Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-01
CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS suc-.
cEEDs IN WINNING MANY
RATE BATTLEs.
succEss WINS PLACE
ON STATE RAIL soARD
First Came Into Prominence a. Atter-:
nsy For Most Producsrs' Association
Many Important Cases For Iowa
Z and Other Commissions Won
Author Of Commerce Council Law.
special 10 Times Republican.

4 ~ ! u. y -.a G
Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. April 1.-Gifford
G. Thorne. who has announced his can
didacy for the republican nomination
for congress down In the first district,
is So years Of age. having been born
in Brooklyn. Iowa. in 1878. He is the
son Of Methodist minister who
preached for forty-four years in the
Iowa conference. Ills.
Elected to the Iowa board Of railroad
commissioners In 1910 after having
won some big cases as attorney Tor
the Corn Belt Meat Producers Assoc
ciataon In their fight for reductions on
rates on live stock he has won nation
wide prominence thru his victories for
tks commission. t
Thorne really began his dght against
the railroads In 1906. when as a prac-
ticing attorney at Washington, Iowa.
hk wrote the iowa law against unfair
discrimination applied to oil. which
was subsequently extended by the
Cosson law to grain. milk. cream, but
ter fat. poultry and eggs That same
year he died q memorial with Secre-
tary Garlield and Hon. p. p. Camp
bell In congress on behalf Of the Kan
sas OH Producers which was widely
nuoted and commented upon. This
was Immediately followed by the Till
man-GlIlespie resolution, originating
the Investigation of tho Standard OIL
Company by the Interstate commerce
commission. Thorne represented the
Kansas oil producers and the National
Petroleum Association at the first
hearing be6ors the commission. In
1907 he was appointed by Governor
.cumnins an his representative at To-
peka, Kan, IN the interstate oil con-
ference called by Governor Hoch.
Wen Important Case.
In 1907 as attorney for the Corn
Belt Meat Producers Association he
won the case before the Iowa railroad
commission which secured an IS per
cent reduction In freight rates on
cattle, sheep, horses. and mules be-
tween all points in Iowa. This was
the f,rs& reduction In live stock rates
ever secured since the commission was
organized. 49,.
In 1905 -, Won the case before the
Interstate Clnmerce Commission SET
curing fattening in transit privileges
in IowA on cattle for the first time in
the history OF the state. In 1910 he
secured q reduction In cattle rates to
Chicago from over 100 Iowa towns,
hog rates from 2s7 iowa towns and
sheep rates from over 1000 Iowa
FoIjukfnxy his election to the railroad
comu,li uion Th0rne won some notable
victortae IN hAllAlf Of the commission. A
general revision in the schedules of
Interstate freight rates for Iowa was
secured after hard light. This rewi-
sion reduced the rates on more than
5000 articles between 1000 interior
Iowa points and many thousands OF
towns Ii the eastern and western por-
tions &c the United States. This was
the firDt general revision ever secured
in the history Of Iowa
In 1910 Thorne made the closing ar
guments for the western shippers in the
western advanced rate case when $780,
900. 900 per year In advanced rates for
period of four years. aggregating
$500, Oo0, 900 In all. were prevented. BY
this case aaone Iowa was saved more
than $1,000 600.
Thorne represented the American
Live stock tAssociation. tho co-oper-
atiye grain dealers association OF more
than 500, 900 members. and the Corn
Belt Meat Producers Association in
many notable lights. =.
Author Of Council Law. .,gs
He was the author Of the commerce
counsel law, passed in 1a1e, creating
Al, advocate who was to give all Of his
time representing the shippers Of the
state In their fights for fair rates. This
was the first official Of this kind ever
created by any state In the union.
He had charge Of tho mississippi
river rate cases which placed Keokuk,
Burlington, Fort Madison and other
Mississippi river cities in Iowa on an
equality with st Louis on traffic from
Atlantic seaboard points securing for
them reduction OF cents per hun
dred pounds on first class freight. c. C.
Mccain, chairman of the trunk line
commission Of eastern railroads. said
IN a book on freight rates two years
ago that this was tie most radical
modification Of rates which had ever
been nnades Il
He vas also in charge Of the case in
which general revision Of rates was
secured from Ill interior Iowa points
10 20 900 points In eastern states. There
was Also secured reduction in the rates
applying TO hauls between mississippi
river points ana interior Iowa cities
ainountin1 to IS per cent These rates
aHect Articles in which jobbers and
manufacturers are interested.
cf u huff 1ird1ooj,u inc { "A 0 T.
Thorrse was chairman Of the COM
mission representing eight western
states - amici curiae in the celebrated
Eanborh rate case in which the SUI
preme court upheld the jurisdicfion O