Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-06-11
NORTH iowa MEN |
TO FIGHT RATES.
Committee Gathering Data For
Presentation to Interstate
Commission
MEMBERS OF BOARD TO
VISIT MASON CITY JULY z
Shippers Claim Rates Of Southern
Iowa Discriminate Against
Northern Section Of State.


"A committee consisting Of r. L.
Ellis, c. B. Sherman and R. o.
Youngerman Of Mason City together
with P. E. Deak and E. H. Draper
of Decorah went to Chicago to con-
fer with Clifford Thorne in order to
get material and data together to
make an oral argument to be pre-
sented on July Z, at the Mason City
cham ber of commerce to members of
the interstate commerce commission
which will come from Washington to
Mason City on that date.
The Commerce Commission comes
to northeastern Iowa in response to
complaint filed three weeks ago.
The principal north Iowa men are
fighting for it not to give lower
freight rates or better advantages
to North Iowa towns and cities. 1t
is simply to have north Iowa ship
ping points put on a equal basis with
central and south Iowa cities where
it is said discrimination has been
made against northern Iowa.
That the commission is coming all
the way from Washington to Mason
City is considered by those inter-
ested an indication that the fight
being put up for lower freight rates
by northern Iowa cities is nearing a
successful elimination. The North
Iowa Traffic Association which filed
the complaint which is to result in
the hearing at Mason City Chamber
of Commerce on July Z, is composed
of the following cities: Clear Lake,
Garner, Britt, Algona, Emmetsburgh,
Ruethven Spencer, Sandborn, Shell
don, Milford, Spirit Lake, Esther
vile, Nora Springs, Charles City,
Usage, New Hampton, Calmar, Cres-
co, Decorah, North McGregor, Wauk-
on, Lake Mills, Elkader, Northwood.
Manly, Forest City. and Mason City.
The complaint originated from the
North Iowa Traffic Association and
is instigated against Walter B.
Hines, director general OF railroads
ct al officers of the association are
R. O. Youngerman. president and
C. A. Bolton, secretary.
The specific work and purpose Of
the association and of its commit
tees now in Chicago consulting with
it's attorney, Mr.. Clifford Thorne is
to present to the Interstate Com
merce Commission the demands of
the towns and cities of northern
Iowa for freight rate basis on a
/ par with that enjoyed by the towns
and cities in southern, Iowa. Mason
City with the help of northern Iowa
has recently been successful in Sc
curing an adjustment Of rates which
not only are of inestimable benefit
to Mason City but which have lower
ed certain freight rates to number
of towns in the association.
The North Iowa Traffic Associa-
tion has undertaken to force the rail
roads to apply to northern Iowa the
same principles of rate making as
are in force in southern Iowa., For
many years southern Iowa has de-
veloped commercially and in manu-
featuring on account of favorable
Z freight rates. Northern Iowa with its
wonderful advantages, natural and
agricultural, has not developed nor
mally along these lines for the rea-
son that the freight rates were not
favorable for the location in this
district Of manufacturing and mer-
chantile industries. The association
has tabulated the present and pro-
posed class rates from the Mississippi
river on shipments originating at or
destined to points east of the India
na-Illinois state line. These figures
will be presented to the commerce
commission at the meeting at Mason
City July Z. All constitute reduc-
tions.