

IOWA. 



447 



Giving to laborers and miners who perform labor in 

 opening~and developing any coal mine, a lien upon all 

 the property of the person, firm, or corporation own- 

 ing or operating such mine. 



'Making: employes and laborers preferred creditors 

 to an amount not exceeding $100 for labor performed. 



Appropriating $100,000 for improving the grounds 

 of the new Capitol. 



Appropriating $3,000 for collecting and preserving 

 historical records and material in the State library. 



Requiring all railroad companies to equip all their 

 engines and cars with proper, efficient, and safe auto- 

 matic couplers and brakes. 



Militia. The National Guard consists of six 

 regiments of eight companies each, with about 

 forty men to each company. They are well uni- 

 formed and equipped with improved firearms 

 and all necessary accouterments. During the bi- 

 ennial period ending June 30, 1889, the State dis- 

 bursed $68,121.55 for the Guard, and received 

 from the Federal Government an allowance of 

 $11,000 per annum in military supplies. 



Banks. There were in the State on June 30, 

 1889, 50 savings banks with $13,313,059.45 of 

 deposits, and $17,185,340.19 of resources. There 

 were at the same time under the supervision of 

 the Auditor of State 80 other banks, with $7,- 

 651,708.40 of deposits, and $13,170,103.14 of 



or receiver of such carload lots, and such trans- 

 fer be made without unreasonable delay: and 

 less than carload lots shall be transferred into 

 the connecting railway's cars at cost, which shall 

 be included in and made a part of the joint rate 

 adopted by such railway companies or established 

 as provided by this act. When shipments of 

 freight to be transported between different 

 points within this State are required to be car- 

 ried by two or more railway companies operating 

 connecting lines, such railway companies shall 

 transport the same at reasonable through rates, 

 and shall at all times give the same facilities 

 and accommodations to local or State traffic as 

 they give to interstate traffic over their lines of 

 road." In case the railway companies shall fail 

 to establish such joint rates, it is made the duty 

 of the Board of Railroad Commissioners to do 

 so on the application of any person interested. 

 The board shall notify the railroad companies, 

 and hear them before making its decision. The 

 rates so established shall go into effect within 

 ten days after they are promulgated by the 

 board. Every unjust and unreasonable charge 

 for transportation of freight and cars over two 

 or more railroads in the State is made unlawful. 

 Before any action had been taken under this law 



resources, making in all 130 banks, with $20,- a suit was brought against the commissioners on 



964,767.85 of deposits, and resources amounting 

 to $30,355,443.33. This shows during the bien- 

 nial period an increase of 13 in the number of 

 savings banks, of $3,267,610.90 in the amount 

 of deposits, and of $4,518,992.47 in resources; 

 and of 15 in the number of other incorporated 

 banks, of $1,650,045.37 in their deposits, and of 

 $2,893,796.73 in their resources. The total num- 

 ber of State and savings banks was 46 greater 

 than on June 30, 1885, and their deposits 

 amounted to $9,650,905 more than on that date, 

 an increase of 55 per cent, in the number of 

 banks, and of over 80 per cent, in the amount of 

 deposits. The total number of incorporated 

 banks in the State in July, 1889, taking the re- 

 port of the comptroller of the currency as author- 

 ity for the statistics as to national banks, was 

 262, with $18,214,143.12 of capital, $45,590,321.- 

 11 of deposits, and $72,344,310.22 of resources. 

 There are besides about 460 private banks in the 

 State, with capital and surplus amounting ap- 

 proximately to $18,000,000. 



Agriculture. The last two years witnessed 

 a larger yield of agricultural products than any 

 other biennium of the State's history. The acre- 

 age is estimated at 17,563,200 acres, or half the 

 area of the State. The annual average prod- 

 uct of grain during the period is equivalent to 6 

 tons, and the annual yield of potatoes to nearly 

 11 bushels for every inhabitant of the State. 



Railroads. The "joint-rate" law passed by 

 the Legislature this year provides that " all rail- 

 way companies doing business in this State shall, 

 upon demand of any person or persons interested, 

 establish reasonable joint through rates for the 

 transportation of freight between points upon 

 their respective lines within this State, and shall 

 receive and transport freight and cars over such 

 route or routes as the shipper shall direct. Car- 

 load lots shall be transferred without unloading 

 from the cars in which such shipments were first 

 made, unless such unloading in other cars shall 

 be done without charge therefor to the shipper 



May 2, in the State district court, to enjoin 

 them from making joint rates thereunder be- 

 tween the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and North- 

 ern Railroad and other connecting roads. The 

 court issued a temporary injunction, and ap- 

 pointed June 19 for a hearing in the case. The 

 judge, after listening to arguments at that time, 

 reserved his decision. The commissioners pro- 

 ceeded, nevertheless, under the law, to make up 

 a joint-rate schedule, and on June 19 embodied 

 the result of their labors in an order, which 

 should take 'effect on July 4, and from which 

 the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern road 

 was excepted, pending the decision of the above- 

 mentioned suit. 



This order the railroads opposed bitterly 

 and refused to put into effect. The North and 

 South lines and the shorter roads were especially 

 aggrieved by it. Under it, the roads that haul 

 products a few miles to another road on which 

 they are reshipped a much longer distance to 

 their destination, received a very small propor- 

 tion of the total amount a proportion very 

 much less than the longer roads have been giv- 

 ing them voluntarily, and which they have vig- 

 orously protested would not be remunerative. 



The commissioners were convinced that their 

 order would operate unjustly, and on July 31 re- 

 voked it. In its stead they issued a second order, 

 providing that where a shipment is made over 

 two or more lines in the State, each road shall 

 be entitled to 80 per cent, of the local rate as 

 established in a tariff which the commissioners 

 published therewith. This order was made oper- 

 ative from and after Aug. 15. On Aug. 23 

 Judge Pairall, of the district court, announced 

 his decision in the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and 

 Northern Railroad injunction case, refusing to 

 dissolve the temporary injunction upon the com- 

 missioners, and throwing doubt upon the consti- 

 tutionality of the joint-rate law. An appeal was 

 taken by the commissioners to the State Su- 

 preme Court. In view of this decision, the rail- 



