610 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



make the shipper prove negligence; how the railroad wanted to make 

 the shipper fill out a claim covering four pages, and how the railroads 

 proposed to refuse to pay any claim on cattle that arrived before one 

 o'clock on the day that the car was due to arrive. Now, all of that has 

 been abandoned. 



Second, the return of the caretaker. I have already stated that a ma- 

 jority of the committee was in favor of cancelling that right of return 

 transportation for the caretaker of live stock, but this gentleman sitting 

 here beside me objected so strenuously that the proposition was killed. 



Third, the railroads proposed to change the two-for-one rule, which 

 was later abandoned. 



Fourth, the railroads attempted to abolish the allowance for shrink- 

 age, which was later abandoned. 



Fifth, there is a miscellaneous list of about fifteen other topics cov- 

 ered by Mr. Harris' committee which I will not take the time to read at 

 this time. We had hearings with regard to those at Washington. We 

 have been fortunate in having such a man as Mr. Harris on that commit- 

 tee, one who retains the confidence not only of the shippers, but also of 

 the railroads, himself a former railroad man all his life, a man of char- 

 acter, capacity and ability, who has been trying to perform his duty in 

 public oflace in the right way. Mr. Harris has taken care of our interests 

 magnificently in that respect. 



Sixth, comes the loading and unloading charges on live stock at Chi- 

 cago. That case has been argued and submitted to the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission. 



Seventh, the charge for feed. 



Eighth, the uniform live stock contract. We had two hearings and 

 an oral argument with regard to that, and it has been submitted. 



Ninth, filing suit within two years. Modification has been recom- 

 mended by the commission because of the war situation, and the rail- 

 roads have adopted the provision up to the present time, and it is going 

 to be put into the law. 



Tenth, general class scales, cancelling the existing commodity class 

 rates and substituting distance class scales, were prepared. These were 

 vigorously opposed and finally abandoned. 



Eleventh, the construction and maintenance of track facilities. This 

 order was very substantially modified. 



Twelfth, the Cummins amendment, restoring full powers to courts 

 and commissions over our common carriers. That is incorporated in the 

 pending legislation, and I believe will become a law. 



Thirteenth, proposed elimination of the 75 per cent stocker rate on 

 feeders in Illinois and west. Vigorous protests were made, and it was 

 later abandoned. 



Fourteenth, cancellation of rates on less than 36-foot cars. This was 

 later abandoned after hearing. 



Fifteenth, proposed cancellation of loading and unloading charge at 

 other places than at Chicago. The Illinois Central started it and then 

 withdrew the tariff. 



