Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-15
RAILROADS CONCLUDE PLEAS BE-
FORE INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION FOR INCREASE.
WILL NOW APPLY TO
STATE COMMISSIONS
Iowa Hearing Set For June 20 and
Express Companies Will Be Heard
June 22-car Shortage Not Yet Re.
lieved-New Equipment Being Con-
structed to Meet Acute Conditions.
ecial to Times -Rcpubllcan.

Special to Times Republican,.
Des Moines, June 15.-With the hear
ings before the interstate commerce
commission at Washington concluded
the next move of the railroads in their
program to secure higher freight rates
will be before the individual state COM
missions. The railroads are asking a
10 per cent increase in interstate rates
just as they are on interstate bust
ness. The express companies are also
asking for an increase in rates
The Iowa commission will hear the
railroad representatives on their re-
quest for higher rates within the state
on June 20. The express companies
will be heard on June %.
Judge ]. H. Henderson. state COM
merce counsel, who represented Howa
in the hearings before the interstate
commission and presented the arSu-
ment against the. increase, has re-
turned from Washington. 1t is expect
ed that the commission at Washington
will make it's ruling on the proposed
increase about July /.
Car Shortage Continues.
The railway association committee
on national defense reports to the
state railroad commission that a per-
sistent effort is being made to meet the
shortage of freight cars. Since Nov.
/. 1916. the railroads have placed in
service $50 new engines and 44O6S new
freight cars. There are now being
constructed 200 engines and lO4.91I
freight cars. 1t is expected that by
January l next there will be 14S.9SO
new freight cars in service with an
average capacity of over fifty tons ana
3.1SS engines with an average tractive
power of $4,000 pounds. This is much
above the average Of the engines now
in use.
On May l of this year there was an
apparent shortage of about 10000
cars, so that the cars now being made
would about meet that, figure. The
railway war committee points out that
there are approximately 100000
freight cars in the United States and
that by avoiding congestion, in which
shippers and railroads alike must CO.
operate, far more freight can be moved
than has been moved.
In statement on the work Of the
railroads to help win the war, Howard
Elliott. president of the New York.
New Haven & Hartford railroad and
member of the railroad war board
declares that even with the freight cars
now being built there is quite likely to
be a shortage of transportation.
'In that event" he says, sit is going
to be necessary, in the interests Of the
nation and in the interests of the allies,
to use such transportation as there is
for the essential things. The public
should be willing to give UP the nom
essentials In other words. it is going
to be great deal more important for
this country to move food, fuel and
iron, and the essentials Of life and
manufacturing than it is to move wha'
might be called the luxures :hc things
that we can get along without IN this
terrible world crisis. We hope We arc
going to be able to move it ali but !
think it is only fair to point out tn"
facts ard to ask the publics cordial
support"
1T is claimed now That there IS COM
paratively little grain in iowa elevators
or mills. that it has been largely
shipped out or fed up.
To Sell Drivinn Park.
Special to Times Republican.
Greene Juno ia meeting If this