FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI. 463 



free list and still give the manufacturers ample protection. In other 

 words, we felt that the bill discriminated against the agricultural and 

 live stock interests. When we left Washington, we had ample assur- 

 ance that a strong fight would be made in the senate finance commit- 

 tee to retain the duties we were asking for, and it was then generally 

 believed that the president would not seriously object to such a com- 

 promise. As you will remember, practically the same recommenda- 

 tions made by our committee were adopted and reported out by the 

 senate committee in June. But by this time public sentiment in the 

 east had so grown in favor of placing all food products on the free list 

 that the president yielded to the demand and insisted on and secured 

 the change in the bill which placed practically all of our commodities 

 on the free list. We hope the president's views are correct in this 

 matter, and give him credit for being sincere and honest in his posi- 

 tion; yet we feel that the bill as passed is illogical and discriminating 

 against the agricultural and live stock interests of our state, and that 

 time alone must determine whether it would not have been better for 

 congress to heed the protests and recommendations made to it by our 

 committee. 



FACILITIES FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHEEP IN DOUBLE-DECK CARS. 



I wish to say a word here in the way of explanation for the benefit 

 of our sheep feeders. About a year ago the officers of your association 

 took up this matter with the Iowa Railroad Commission, with a view 

 to having such facilities installed at all points where necessity de- 

 manded. However, upon investigation, it was found that the Iowa com- 

 mission had no authority in such cases unless the sheep were loaded 

 at and shipped to points within the state. This not being the case, we 

 had to look elsewhere for relief. So the matter was taken to the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission, where, to our surprise, we were informed 

 that this important commission was woefully lacking in power to re- 

 quire the railroads to install such facilities, although the shipments 

 were interstate. We then decided to confer with the superintendents 

 of the different lines, and see if we could not induce them to provide 

 such accommodations at points where there were sheep enough handled 

 to justify them. In this we succeeded partially, as some of the roads 

 have been installing these double-deck chutes during the fall, while 

 others have paid no attention to our requests. The fact is that unless 

 we can coax the railroad men to give you these accommodations,' there 

 is no way under the present laws to force them to act. 



As to the 75 per cent rate on stbcker and feeder cattle and sheep, 

 I want to say once for all that all stocker and feeder cattle, and all 

 sheep shipped in double-deck cars into this state for feeding purposes, 

 are entitled to a rate which is 75 per cent of the fat stock rate, and I 

 hope that none of our members will allow any railroad agent to blarney 

 them in paying the full rate. I found a number of instances during 

 the fall where the agent had charged the full rate on sheep, and de- 

 clared to the farmers that there was no feeder rate on sheep. Under 

 the rulings adopted last spring by the railroads, and incorporated in 

 their live stock tariffs, the agent may require tlie shipper to make a 



