604 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



advance in rates on the 7th of December. And that will be reflected 

 back and will also form the basis which will govern all traffic from the 

 Missouri river, as you all know, and the commission denied the sus- 

 pension. 



The advances have gone into effect without even a hearing at which 

 the producer had notice other than by a little printed three-line an- 

 nouncement, perhaps in some issue of the Traffic World, of some tariff 

 that was to be filed. 



Last year there were 143,000 freight tariffs filed. I try to keep a 

 check on everything affecting live stock. It is not surprising that occa- 

 sionally something of importance may get beyond me. 



But isn't it the wrong system whereby an advance can go in without a 

 hearing? We asked for a suspension under the law. The railroads 

 aren't required to give you and me notice except the filing at Washing- 

 ton; but when we want a reduction we have to file our petition and serve 

 notice on every railroad in the country that is affected. I would like to 

 see it so adjusted that some sort of reasonable notice would have to be 

 made on the shippers' organization when proper and reasonable request 

 has been made therefor. 



The Supreme Court and the Commission. 



Another little phase of our present railroad legislation — the supreme 

 court has held they can reverse the commission when an afiirmative 

 order is granted for an asset of a certain character, but they can not 

 reverse it when there is a negative order granted. I think that is wholly 

 unreasonable. And remember, the aflarmative orders where they don't 

 have the jurisdiction are where the carrier wins; but where they do have 

 that jurisdiction is where the shipper wins. Where the shipper loses is 

 where the supreme court hasn't the power to review the matter, as I have 

 just described. That was held by the supreme court of the United States 

 in the Proctor-Gamble case. 



Co-operative Marketing. 



One of the most important phases of my work at the present moment 

 is in regard to co-operative marketing. You know that Mr. Howard 

 invited a number of organizations to suggest certain members to serve on 

 a Committee of Seventeen, and I was amongst the number selected. At 

 the present time we are carrying on somewhat of an extensive investiga- 

 tion to find out just exactly what should be done. Now while the thing 

 is at fever heat there is some danger of going off half-cocked, and yet 

 we do not want to dilly-dally too long. We must reach conclusions just 

 as quickly as possible, but when you look over the history of the wrecks 

 and failures during the past fifty years in agricultural organization work, 

 you certainly appreciate the importance of care. 



Much has been said about the exchanges, the gambling and specula- 

 tion. The other day we had before us the president of the Chicago Board 

 of Trade. He made the statement that because there was gambling at 

 an institution you should not discredit the entire institution. He said 

 he knew of an instance where two men in a church bet on the length of 

 a certain preacher's prayer during the service, and yet would that act 



