Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-05-15
Mr.. C. W. scoggin Talks.

public service commissioners advise |
me that they have no power to force
the local freight trains to run on time. |
The Iron Mountain local freight south |
is due at Hogan at 1:3O P. NJ, and ar
Fives at any time between 1870 and
500 O'Clock P. M. The local freight
north is due at Hogan at $40 A. NJ.
and arrives all the way from $40 to
o'clock P. M.
Some time ego the company issued
an order not on the time card to run
local freight train south one day and
back the next. I asked our legislators,
both representatives and senators, to
have this law changed, giving the
commissioners power to control this
train as it is detriment to the pa
irons of the road.
am writing this to see what the
wholesale dealers and manufacturers
of our cities think of their customers
being treated in this manner.
Permit me to suggest the passage
pf a law something like the follow
ine:
Any man caught riding on pass,
who has not worked for the Railroad
Company as long as twelve months,
should be fined $500 for the first Of
,fense and $500 and twelve months in
the penitentiary at hard labor for the
second offense. And the official of
the Railroad signing such pass should
be fined $500 for the first offense and
$500 and twelve months in the peni-
tentiary at hard labor for the second
offense.
I have asked our legislat ors to
amend the law that the commissioners
have, in part, to control the Railroad
Companies, but SO far have failed to
get any action. also asked them to
amend the law to give the commits
sioners power to give the citizens of
Missouri service from large incorpor-
ated railroad companies, such as the
Missouri Pacific and other roads, as
the Iron Mountain is part of the
Missouri Pacific, running from st.
Louis to Little Rock Arkansas, should
run two passengers both north and
south bound each day, which would
enable the people to go and return
home in "a hours. AS the service is
now on the Iron Mountain we cannot
get off of night train from St. Louis
south, between Ironton and Pied
mont. We cannot get off q train
north, between Annapolis and Iron
ton. This peing the third state in
Union think this is an outrage on a
civilized country that we can get
no better service than this. think
the Am erican principle that our
forefathers fought for was that our
government was to be controlled
by the people and for the people.
Well might former President Lincoln
say that "you can fool part of the
American people part of the time but
you can't fool all the American peo-
pie all Of the time"
Now lie the time that everyone
should read the newspapers and keep
posted as to what part Of the citi-
zens have to bear, as we have just
passed through our Fourth Liberty
Bond sales and don't know how to
enumerate the Thrift or War Savings
Stamps.
The Government has asked the
people to buy bonds and it is the de-
sire of the people to do SO, but are the
above Accommodations just, which COM
pei the people from st. Louis and
other places to stay over night along
the road, with the same accomoda-
tions that they have had through our
other Liberty Loan Issues, which cost
the people along this line all the way
from $500 to $1,000, for the lack OF
accommodations during the sales of the
other bonds. With this loss the peo-
pie would have been more able to buy
bonds that were being issued.
AS we will have elections in two,
four and six years from now, I trust
that what have to say here will be
put on every mans thinking file,so as
to better him to keep in memory who
worked for the people. also think
that every county paper should pub
lish this for the benefit OF its patrons.
II I see this in print / will have
something else to say in the future.
] would like to hear through the
columns Of the EEGIsTER and other
county papers that copy this, the
opinion OF the people on this subject.
Very Truly Yours,
G.. w. SCoGGIN.