THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 125 



as well on those days as on the regular market days. They say the 

 railroads are also delivering the stock in good time for the market on 

 those days. We all know the evils and disadvantages of flooding the 

 market on Monday and Wednesday, and if we can co-operate to distrib- 

 ute this stock more evenly over five days of the week, and in that way 

 prevent the heavy runs and bad breaks in the market, which mean the 

 loss of thousands of dollars to the live stock interests, it is certainly 

 our duty as well as to our advantage to do it. 



Now, there are some things to which I wish to invite the attention 

 of the present general assembly: 



PHYSICAL VALUATION OF KAILROADS. 



For years there has been some agitation along this line, and some 

 of our best economists and rate experts have advocated a physical valu- 

 ation of our railways, so that our State Railroad Commission could have 

 some intelligent way of arriving at what is a fair rate for both the 

 carriers and the people. Under our present system there is no scien- 

 tific way for the commission to arrive at what is a proper rate for the 

 railroads to charge. Other states have taken the lead in this matter, 

 and have passed laws providing for the physical valuation of their public 

 carriers, and they seem to be making good headway in regulating and 

 adjusting their rates. Then why should the great state of Iowa be found 

 so far in the rear in this matter? It seems to me that the present leg- 

 islature could perform no greater service to the people of the state than 

 to pass a bill providing for such valuation, and I hope this organization 

 will go on record as favoring that legislation. 



Then there is the question of revising our present laws affecting 

 taxation. There is a movement on foot at this time to increase the 

 taxes on farm property and reduce them on other classes of property, 

 the claim being made that the farmers are not paying their share of the 

 taxes. In reply to this charge, I will state that in my judgment farm 

 property is paying a larger proportion of the revenues — both county 

 and state — than any other class of property, for the simple reason that 

 farm property can not be covered up from the assessor, while it is a 

 notorious fact that a large percentage of practically all other classes 

 of property is hidden away from the assessor when he makes his call. 

 It doubtless is true that our tax laws need revision, but I wish to go 

 on record as being opposed to any measure that will place a greater 

 burden of taxation upon the agricultural interests, as I verily believe 

 they are paying their share; and I hope this association will take a de- 

 termined stand against any such measure. 



The question that is uppermost in the minds of most farmers today 

 is the prevention and cure of hog cholera by means of virus and serum. 

 As you well know, hog cholera has devastated thousands of herds during 

 the past year. Never in our history have we sustained such a loss. So 

 I feel it is time we were bestirring ourselves to prevent a recurrence 

 of this fearful loss in the future, if possible; and to this end I believe 

 the present legislature should make a liberal appropriation for the es- 



