174 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



weeks continuously in the court room. I don't believe any of you 

 gentlemen have ever had a case that lasted that long. I have at 

 times had from ten to fifteen stenographers helping me. I have 

 made one trip to New York City, two to Washington, D. C, three 

 to Chicago, and next week I have to go back to Chicago again. I 

 have to prepare a 100-page printed argument, if possible, between 

 now and the first of January. The State Board of Railroad Com- 

 missioners, at my request and the suggestion of several other per- 

 sons, have furnished me with a complete copy of the record in the 

 case, and they have also furnished me with one stenographer at 

 each of these cities where I have gone, during the hearings. I have 

 been compelled to prepare many of these exhibits while testimony 

 was being taken in the court room. I think it would be no more 

 than fair and just that this association should in sincere, positive 

 terms express their appreciation of this help from the State Board 

 of Railroad Comimssioners. They deserve your thanks. 



One other thing along that line : I sugested to the Grain Deal- 

 ers' Association that they ought to have a man there, too, and the 

 result was that they sent Mr. White, of Nevada, a big, broad- 

 gauged, fair-minded man and lawyer, and he has been associated 

 with me during the past few weeks; and in addition to that the 

 Grain Dealers' Association have contributed funds toward pay- 

 ing my fees. So I have an associate counsel, a stenographer, the 

 record, and everything I need. 



You gentlemen are looking farther than your livestock business 

 when ou take steps to protect yourselves in this kind of a case. 

 You are all interested in the development and growth of this mid- 

 western country, and it is your business to see that nothing hap- 

 pens which will threaten the further advancement of this section 

 of the United States, if you can possibly prevent it. You have been 

 acting in that larger sphere, and at the same time you have 

 been acting for your own concrete welfare. The railroads pro- 

 posed an advance in livestock rates at first of over twenty per 

 cent — close to thirty per cent — from the Mississippi river to the 

 Atlantic coast, on all livestock originating west of the Mississippi 

 river. Later they took off that advance and issued another rate, 

 cutting that advance in two, making an advance of fifteen to 

 twenty per cent. They have also made the same advance from 

 Chicago to the Atlantic coast ; and by statistics T find that close to 

 forty per cent of all your cattle that go into the Chicago farket 

 go on to the coast. Eastern buyers are there looking for them. 



