FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI. 465 



interstate shipment, carried up by the railroads from Nebraska, in 

 which the court practically validated these contract valuations, and 

 gave the railroads the right to charge a higher rate where an increased 

 liability is demanded by the shipper. Previous to this decision, the 

 railroads had settled such claims on the basis of the value of the ani- 

 mal killed, but for the past year they have refused to pay more than 

 the amount specified in the contract. So you can readily see the risk 

 incurred by our feeders and shippers in this state, where the average 

 animal when fat is worth about double the valuation in the contract. 



Your officers recognized at once the danger of heavy losses to our 

 members and the feeders in general under such a system, and their 

 first thought was to obtain relief by securing the passage of a bill by 

 congress that would prevent common carriers from limiting their liabil- 

 ity by contract. So the matter was at once taken up with Senator Cum- 

 mins, and he gladly offered his services. Accordingly, a bill was pre- 

 pared and introduced in the senate by him early in the special session 

 of congress which was at once referred to the committee on interstate 

 commerce. Owing to the pressure of tariff and currency legislation, 

 however, no action has been taken on it to this time. Later, fearing 

 that the bill might be seriously delayed by congress, we decided to file 

 a petition and complaint with the Interstate Commerce Commission, 

 as we believed they had ample power to correct the situation. But 

 before the petition had been filed, Judge Cowan, who represents the 

 American National Live Stock Association and the Texas Cattle Grow- 

 ers, wrote your secretary to the effect that he was working on a plan 

 to secure a conference of the railroad and live stock men regarding an 

 adjustment of the matter, and asked that our petition be withheld until 

 the outcome of his efforts could be ascertained. His request was com- 

 plied with, and later on we were notified that he had arranged the con- 

 ference, to be held in Chicago, October 22d. He also urged that this 

 association be represented at the conference. In accordance with the 

 suggestion, your president and secretary, together with Mr. Thorne, 

 chairman of the Iowa Railroad Commission, and Judge Henderson, Com- 

 merce Counsel, were present at the conference. 



We found there a very large group of railroad men, representing 

 practically all of the important western lines. Judge Cowan was also 

 present, as were several ofiicers and members of the Military Tract 

 Live Stock Shippers' Association, of Illinois, and a delegation from the 

 Live Stock Exchange, of Chicago. A brief conference of those repre- 

 senting the live stock interests was held, and all agreed that the pres- 

 ent contract valuations were unfair and unjust, and that if animals 

 were killed in transit, the owner should be paid full value for same. 

 When the conference proper was called, the stockmen's position was pre- 

 sented by Mr. Thorne, Judge Cowan, and others, and a demand was 

 also made that the railroad people notify the different live stock or- 

 ganizations as to their position in regard to changing the form of these 

 contracts before December 1st. The railroad men did but little talk- 

 ing. They stated that they were not in a position to make us any 

 proposition, as under their system matters of that kind were handled 

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