Report of Missow^i Farmers' Week. 



539 



advocate that they either put live stock rates on a sliding schedule, 

 paying one rate for first-class service and a lower rate where stock 

 is delayed and does not get the first-class service, or else we will 

 have to appeal to Congress to pass a law compelling live stock trains 

 to make a certain number of miles per hour from their starting 

 point until they reach the market. 



With all the modern railroad facilities and improvements, I 

 can see no reason why a train of live stock should not make fifteen 

 to eighteen miles per hour. Still we have many trains arriving at 

 the different markets that do not average half this speed. My 

 opinion is that the tonnage evil of overloading the trains is largely 

 the cause of it, and I think that an organization like yours could 

 accomplish much if it would work in harmony with an organization 

 like the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Association of Iowa, with head- 

 quarters at Des Moines, and The Military Tract Live Stock Ship- 

 pers' Association of Illinois, with headquarters at Monmouth, and 

 other kindred organizations, take up these matters, call a joint 

 meeting, send a committee from each one of your organizations, 

 and perhaps appeal to the different live stock exchanges at all the 

 different markets. I cannot help but feel that a convention of this 

 kind might accomplish a great amount of good. 



