INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAW. 



IOWA. 



391 



tion, while in all sections the instances are 

 much less numerous than they were a year 

 ago. The most conspicuous exception of 

 roads that have not come into harmony with 

 the rule the act seeks to establish is seen in the 

 case of the transcontinental roads. How far 

 it is possible for them to do so without serious 

 detriment to their revenues is a question yet 

 to be determined. The Commission now has 

 before it several complaints against these roads, 

 in which the grievance alleged is that the short- 

 haul traffic is subjected to oppressive burdens, 

 and an adjudication of these complaints will, 

 to some extent, involve the general question. 



Soon after the act took effect, and when it 

 was seen that the Commission proposed to 

 adopt a cautious and conservative course, con- 

 fidence returned, and business, not only of the 

 roads but of those who were their principal 

 customers, began to acquire stability and pros- 

 perity. Rates were made more generally 

 equal and just than formerly, and were allowed 

 to have a stability unknown before. Discrim- 

 inations between persons practically ceased, 

 and secret rebates were no longer given. Dis- 

 criminations between places ceased also, ex- 

 cept so far as the managers felt confident of 

 their ability to defend them on the grounds of 

 reason and justice. The giving of free passes 

 for interstate transportation was stopped, ex- 

 cept in the few cases allowed by the act, the 

 chief of these being when they were exchange 

 passes between railroads for their officers and 

 employes. The general effect has been that 

 the railroads have had an exceptionally pros- 

 perous year, and, at the same time, their busi- 

 ness has been transacted much more to the 

 satisfaction of the public than ever before. A 

 great many complaints of violation of law by 

 the railroads have been made to the Commis- 

 sion, a large proportion of which were found 

 on investigation to be grounded in error. 

 Where they have clearly appeared to be just 

 the parties complained of have given redress ; 

 where their justice has not been conceded, 

 cases have been brought to a hearing, and an 

 adjudication by the Commission has been had. 

 Whenever an order has been made by the 

 Commission requiring specific action by a rail- 

 road company, by way of redressing a griev- 

 ance, the Commission has been notified that its 

 order has been or will be complied with. The 

 railroad mileage of the United States at the 

 close of the fiscal year 1886 was estimated at 

 133,606. The number of corporations repre- 

 sented in this mileage was 1,425, and the cost 

 of construction and equipment of roads was 

 computed at $7,254,995,223. It was not to be 

 supposed that a new system could be put in 

 force and a new authority be empowered to 

 regulate so vast an interest without causing 

 considerable disturbance and friction, and per- 

 haps some hardships. But these ill effects 

 have been surprisingly small, and it can safely 

 be said that, almost from the first, the effect of 

 the law has been steadily reformatory and 



beneficial. The most serious complaints have 

 come from parties who were specially favored 

 before, and who are now deprived of unfair 

 advantages. 



The Commission, in its annual report, rec- 

 ommends a few changes in the act, none of 

 them of considerable moment ; it calls atten- 

 tion to the fact that a large business is done 

 by express companies, parlor-car companies, 

 and other organizations not supposed to come 

 under the act, and raises the question whether 

 they ought not to be brought in ; it sets forth 

 the difficulties springing from a want of uni- 

 form classification of freights, and declares the 

 purpose of the Commission to bring about uni- 

 formity as rapidly as possible, and also to keep 

 steadily in view the importance of making 

 rates that, as between long- and short-haul 

 traffic, shall be relatively more equal and just 

 than those that have been made hitherto. 



IOWA. State Government, The following were 

 the State officers during the year : Governor, 

 William Larrabee, Republican ; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, John A. T. Hull; Secretary of State, 

 Frank D. Jackson; Auditor, James A. Lyons; 

 Treasurer, Voltaire P. Twombly ; Attorney- 

 General, A. J. Baker ; Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction, John W. Akers ; Railroad Com- 

 missioners, Peter A. Dey, Lorenzo S. Coffin, 

 and James W. McDill ; Chief-Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court, Austin Adams; Associate Jus- 

 tices, James H. Rothrock, Joseph M. Beck, 

 William H. Seevers, and Joseph R. Reed. 



Finances. The Treasurer's report for the two 

 years ending June 30 shows total receipts to the 

 amount of $3,359,110.57, and total expenditures 

 amounting to $3,338,716.62, leaving abalance of 

 $20,393.95. The balance in the treasury at the 

 beginning of this period was $140,151. 94. The 

 State debt consists of outstanding warrants to 

 the amount of $455,987.30, of which all but 

 $26,573.42 are interest-bearing. Two years 

 previous the outstanding warrants amounted to 

 $765,524.53. For the past four years the reve- 

 nue provided has not been sufficient to meet 

 the unusual appropriations made by the Nine- 

 teenth and Twentieth General Assemblies for 

 building new State institutions and for extend- 

 ing others, and in consequence a large floating- 

 debt has been created, but it is believed that 

 the increased receipts from taxation for the 

 next two years will be sufficient to pay this in- 

 debtedness. The total assessed taxable prop- 

 erty for this year was $495,710,241. The rate 

 for State purposes has been 2J mills for the 

 past six years. 



Education. At the close of the fiscal year 1887, 

 there were 12,444 school-houses in the State, 

 valued at $11,360,472 ; the number of schools 

 was 14,829, and of teachers 24,675. The per- 

 manent school-fund then amounted to $4,187,- 

 893.94, and there were 53,927 acres of school- 

 lands unsold. The total disbursements for 

 schools in 1886 were $6,323,172.42, of which 

 $952,540 came from the school-house fund, $1,- 

 361,749.39 from the contingent fund, and $4,- 



