560 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



planned to put on the program for tomorrow who must leave to- 

 night, Mr. Thorne and Mr. Coon both being of that number, and 

 to hear them necessitates our deferring this discussion upon this 

 very important matter that Mr. Wallace has just presented to 

 you until a later time, and taking the time that we should have 

 spent on this organization plan and giving it to some of these 

 other speakers, so that at this time I am going to ask Mr, Coon 

 to speak for a few^ minutes on the question of claims. 



RAILROAD CLAIMS. 



By Owen L. Coon, Claim Attorney, Chicago, Illinois. 



Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Asso- 

 ciation: When we think of the railroad claims, it may be interesting to 

 some of you to know that in the year 1914 the railroads of the United 

 Slates paid out $31,000,000 satisfying freight claims. In 1919 they paid 

 out more than $101,000,000 in satisfying freight claims, an increase of 300 

 per cent in less than six years. It may also be interesting to you to know 

 that in the year 1909 there arrived at the five principal terminal markets 

 in the United States — namely, Chicago, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis 

 and St. Joseph — more than 100,000 dead cattle, hogs and sheep, and 

 77,000 cripples. Think of it! By exact figures, 101,447 dead cattle, sheep 

 and hogs and 77,177 cripples. 



It may also be interesting to you to know that in 1919 there arrived 

 at Sioux City over 10,000 dead and crippled animals in 68,000 cars, and 

 that in St. Louis last year there arrived 29,000 dead and crippled animals 

 out of 110,000 cars. You can readily realize the tremendous loss that the 

 live stock industry is suffering as a result of these losses. 



Your association has established a railroad claim department in Chicago, 

 in connection with the Farm Bureau Federations of Iowa, Ohio and 

 several other states, and the farmers of the National Grain Dealers' Asso- 

 ciation, to look after these claims for their members, and to see that they 

 are more thoroly handled and that your interests are protected. One of 

 the purposes of this department is to actually handle these claims. If 

 you wish to have them handled elsewhere, you may do so, or if you wish 

 us to act in an advisory capacity you may be sure that we will be glad 

 to do our best for you. 



The freight departments of all of the leading railroads of the country 

 are located In Chicago, and we have made it our business to become 

 acquainted with the men in charge of these departments, so that thru 

 that acquaintance we can better handle your business for you. During 

 the past year there has been some misunderstanding as to whether the 

 claims on live stock going to other markets than Chicago can be handled 

 by this office. The freight department of the railroad over which your 

 stock traveled, whether the car went to Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis 

 or some other market, is more than likely In Chicago. If you are located 

 on a railroad which does not maintain a freight department in Chicago — 

 and they are very few — we can still be of service to you in prosecuting 

 your claim. 



