Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-07
new Rates
Will Make
Big SAVING
Ottumwa and Interior Iowa
Cities Win Victory in Re-
cent Decision of Inter-
state Commerce Commits
sion.
LOCAL SHIPPERS
START THE FIGHT

The recent sweeping decision of the
Interstate commerce commission IN
the proportional class rates between
Ottumwa and points east OF the ILL.
nois-Indiana state line and between
the Mississippi river and Ottumwa, Is q
great victory for Ottumwa and other
interior Iowa cities. The traffic de.
partment of the Commercial club is
jubilant at the success of the more
than seven years fight which 1t start
ed for righting the discrimination To-
cal and other interior Iowa shippers
suffered in rates. The saving will be
large for the rates cover many articles
OF commerce.
BY its decision announced few
commission will order into effect Oc.
tober Is next an entirely new set OF
proportional class rates in the terri
tory between the Mississippi river and
Ottumwa on traffic from and to points
east Of the Indiana-lllinois state line,
that will approximately correct the
rate determinations under which
this city has labored, as regards Chi
cago, Peoria, st. Louis and other
cities located on the Mississippi river.
oT1UMWA STARTS FIGHT.
The decision referred to eliminates
q long. hard, persistent effort on the
part of the Ottumwa shippers togeth-
er with those Of few other progress.
i've interior Iowa cities. under the
leadership Of Clifford Thorne, Judge
Henderson. Dwight F. Lewis and the
Iowa railroad commission.
The struggle started in 1909 when
Ottumwa complained Of their class
rates from the east and secured an
adjustment In 1910. or shortly there
after some Of the other interior Iowa
cities, together with Ottumwa fled a
complaint through the Iowa railroad
commission and they were working
xealously until April l, 1914 convinc-
ing the interstate commerce commits
sion that the class rates to Iowa from
the east were out Of line. The adjust
ment made in April 1914 did not suit
the Iowa shippers and another COM
plant was Immediately registered.
and the decision effective October Is
next is the direct result.
HISTORY OF RATES.
To illustrate the feat accomplished
the proportional class rates applying
between the Mississippi river and
Ottumwa on trafdc from and to the
eastern territory were in 1909, prior to
the first complaint as follows:
80. 27.5 22.5 II. 12
Early in 1910 the commission order
ed in the following scale at Ottumwa:
0rs = OxI =,
80. "a. 1875 10. 105
April 1, 1914. the following adjust
ment was made:
1st End srd 4th 5th
1876 2O4 15.4 11.S SO
On October Is next the following
schedule will become effective:
1st End 3rd 4th 5th
is. II. 3. Z. 6.
oTTUMWA WAGES FIGHT.
The rates from the territory east of
the Indiana-Illinois state line are
made up of two parts, one applying
between the eastern points and the
Mississippi river and the other factor
between the river and Ottumwa. The
entire fight was made on the western
factor, or the part applying between
the river and Ottumwa-
It was the contention Of the Ottum-
: = shippers that their competitors To-
Gated at Chicago, Peoria, st. Louis
and the other river cities were IA
vored with more equitable rates than
obtained to the jobbers and manufac-
turers at Ottumwa, and in this con-
tention they were successful. The
new schedule Of rates will, to large
degree, eliminate the advantage that
the cities mentioned above had over
Ottumwa, and the removal of this dis
crimination Is the lifting of heavy
load from off the Ottumwa shippers.
HELPS INTERIOR CITIES.
The benefits derived from the deci-
sion effective October Is will not only
assist Ottumwa. but will also aid
every shipper of interior Iowa, and
will no doubt 60 long way towards
placing Iowa where she belongs in the
and jobbing field.
Too much credit cannot be given
Mr.. Thorne. Judge Henderson. Mr..
Lewis and the Iowa commission in
their efforts In behalf Of the Iowa
shippers in this instance. and the
results obtained were due
to the cooperation Of few live Com
merial clubs with the gentlemen
named above, Ottumwa, Cedar Rap
ids, Marshalltown, Waterloo and Des
Moines were responsible in the main
for the task accomplished.
MANY ARTICLES AFFECTED.
It is quite possible that the new
schedule Of rates will affect many
moving In carload lots.
such as canned goods. sugar. coffee,
dried beans, iron and steel and other