FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 33 



which transportation lines of other countries and regions give to the inhabi- 

 tants of these regions for their products, and the market for their products. 

 In other words, the farmers of Iowa and the railroads of Iowa are partners 

 in trying to produce and deliver in the world's markets such products as we 

 raise at the very lowest price. If we can do that, as against the competi- 

 tion of the wheat growers of Russia and India, the sheep raisers of Australia, 

 and the cattle growers of South America, it is to redound to our mutual 

 benefit. If we can not do that, and the men who are interested in the trans- 

 portation of othijr countries can produce cheaper than we can produce and 

 deliver, the benefit is to be with those people. It seems clear to me that 

 the interests of the farmers of Iowa and the railroads are identical. What- 

 ever we can do to lower the cost of transportation of your products, virtu- 

 ally lowers the production to you. The elements which make up the labor 

 cost is a very large element; fuel is another one; and in recent years the 

 prices of these have increased to us a very marked extent. The result of 

 that is that we have to devise methods by which we get more service out of 

 the labor and fuel used; whether we have been successful in that or not 

 events will prove. If we can continue to make transportation cheaper, 

 without materially impairing its efficiency, we feel that we are doing the 

 very best thing that can be done for you. 



When men who are purchasing transportation from us, and in saying us, 

 I mean, not one railroad, but the railroads of Iowa as a whole, they fre- 

 quently feel, and often with justice, that they really are receiving less than 

 ttiey pay for; that they get discourteous treatment from agents; their live 

 stock makes poor runs; it is delivered on the market later than it should be, 

 or than it ought to be. Now, these things the railroad companies or the 

 operating officers are quite as anxious to prevent or avoid as any shipper can 

 be, and I feel that I have voiced the sentiment of the officers of Iowa rail- 

 roads in general, when I say, in case you do have unfortunate experiences of 

 that sort, that no one will welcome intelligent complaints or criticisms of the 

 service which we render, more cheerfully and value it more highly than the 

 officers who are running the railroads and are responsible for the results, 

 and our one aim is to make the results the best we can for you, for your 

 ber:efit and for our satisfaction. 



The President : This question is now open for discussion. 

 Are there any questions anyone wishes to ask? 



A Member : I wish to ask a question about this industrial 

 agent. I understood the gentleman to say, he was traveling 

 along their line to hunt up business. I would like to know 

 whether he ever ran across a delegation of farmers at some 

 certain point, for the purpose of putting up grain elevators? 



Mr. Delano : I think he has. " 



Question : How does he act when he gets there? 



Mr. Delano : I am sure that he would entertain a proposi- 

 tion for a grain elevator at any station. It depends just some- 

 what on what the conditions are. We have a great many sta- 

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