608 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



and maintenance of elevator scales. This will mean better and more 

 prompt handling of claims. 



In the live stock industry we ought to do the same that we did in the 

 grain industry. 



I am afraid that that resolutions committee is pretty long coming 

 back. After a bit I think it might be well to suspend the rule to refer to 

 the committee. I would like to have the thing disposed of, and if it is 

 not done pretty soon it will be impossible to get it in print this afternoon. 



RETURN OF THE CARETAKER. 



The second proposition is as to the return of the caretaker. Mr. J. 

 L. Harris, who is in this room this afternoon, was the chairman of the 

 committee that was created by the United States Railroad Administration 

 that investigated a large number of complaints of organized live stock 

 interests. Public hearings were held and parties properly represented. 

 I chance to have in my possession here this afternoon a record of the 

 proceedings of this committee of which Mr. Harris was chairman. I got 

 this record in a roundabout way that I won't outline, and there are two 

 or three typical examples that I want to show you of what occurred on 

 that committee. 



First, as to attendants in charge. The majority of Mr. Harris' com- 

 mittee, three of them against him — listen, folks, three of them against 

 him — recommended the following: 



"The committee, after giving such consideration to the question of 

 uniform rules for caretakers in charge of live stock, are unable to reach 

 a unanimous agreement. We are of the opinion that decreases in some 

 instances are necessary, but hold to the view that the carrier's obligation 

 ends when the live stock and attendant have reached destination, and 

 that carriers are not obliged to provide free transportation in both direc- 

 tions." 



Now, folks, you remember back ten or twenty years ago, when the 

 same issue was raised in this state, how you came en masse to Des 

 Moines and swamped the legislature until there was a change. Now 

 here was a proposition of just the same issue, that didn't affect Iowa 

 alone, but affected the whole country, and the United States Railroad 

 Administration, with arbitrary war powers, had it within its power to 

 make that change, and three out of four members of the committee 

 recommended that change should be made. But those three persons 

 were reckoning with the wrong gentleman. Mr. J. L. Harris, although in 

 the minority, prevailed with the higher-up officials, and I suggest that 

 you give this man one round of applause. (Applause.) 



Mr. Harris: Thank you, gentlemen! 



Mr. Thorne (continuing) : I had another little illustration to give you. 

 By the way, folks, I am not going to give all of the bouquets to Mr. 

 Harris. Mr. Heinemann was there associated with Mr. Harris a part 

 of the time, and did some magnificent work. He deserves a round of 

 applause, too. (Applause.) 



