the parties to contest or refuse to amicably make an adjustment or agreement in regard thereto.

If the elevator or a building should be ordered by the board to be constructed upon a railway company's property, would the board have the right to say what the size, cost, or character of such building should be, or where it should be located, and for how long a term of years the owner thereof should be entitled to possession of the real estate upon which the building might be constructed, and the right of removal either by the owner or by the railway, and how many such applications should be granted as to any one station?

The board is confronted with this as well as other questions of a similar character, and the only authority or guidance which it has for disposing of them is such as it may have from the general super vising power given it by the statutes of this state.

The board has been able to agree upon this question where the railway companies may have refused to permit or allow any store, warehouse or elevator to be constructed upon their property, but where a company has granted to others the privilege of constructing such buildings upon its right of way and refuses to grant additional privileges, then the question of the public necessity is one where there may be honest difference of opinion. It therefore leaves this question in an unsettled and unsatisfactory condition.

EXPRESS COMPANIES.

It was enacted by the Twenty-sixth General Assembly, that express companies are common carriers, and that all laws, as far as prac ticable, then or thereafter in force regulating the transportation of property by railroad companies, shall apply with equal force and effect to express companies, and also providing that the railroad commission shall have general supervision of such companies operating and doing business in the state, and that they shall inquire into any unjust discrimination, neglect or violation of the laws of the state by any express companies doing business therein; and that as soon as practicable a schedule of reasonable maximum charges or rates for the transportation of any kind of property carried by such express companies shall be made by the railroad commissioners.

Within a reasonable time after the enactment of this statute, and the taking effect thereof, a public hearing was had by the commissioners at their office in Des Moines, due and timely notice of which hearing was given by the publication thereof in nearly all the leading daily papers throughout the state. At that hearing the only persons who appeared in behalf of the shippers were representatives

of the Swine Breeders' association, and no complaint was made against the schedule of rates then in force by the express companies. Objection was made, however, to the manner of billing and shipping live stock by such express companies, and it was claimed that such companies, when shipments were received by them, declined to ship and bill such live stock by the shortest and quickest route, and insisted upon shipping over the line of the express company receiving the same, regardless of distance or time.

The shippers made further complaint that express companies exacted and required of them unreasonable and onerous contracts or receipts, when live stock was delivered for shipment.

The express companies were all represented by the different managers or superintendents, and at such hearing assured the shippers, and the railroad commissioners, that they would at once cease insisting upon live stock being shipped over the longest route, both in time and distance, and that they would at once comply with the request of the shippers and suggestion of the board that whenever live stock was received for shipment, it would be billed and shipped over the shortest and quickest route, and that no unreasonable or harsh stipulations would be placed in their receipts or contracts of shipment.

The board, whenever its attention has been called to any unjust rule or requirement of the express companies, or unreasonable charge for the handling and shipment of merchandise, has at once investigated the same, and when it has found any reasonable ground for complaint, has required the express companies to cease therein, and it has adopted this method in formulating and regulating what might be deemed to be a reasonable maximum charge for the shipping of merchandise by express companies.

INTERLOCKING SWITCHES.

During the year the following automatic interlocking switches and signals were put in operation at crossings:

At Carnforth, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago & North Western railway.

At Grand Junction, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago & North-Western railway.

At Libertyville, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago, Ft. Madison & Des Moines railway.

At Fairfield, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad.

At Ottumwa, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad.

At Belknap, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Wabash railroad.

At Neola, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway.

At Davenport, crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railway.

The interlocking and signal apparatus made by the National Switch and Signal Co., Easton, Pa., and by the Union Switch and Signal Co., of Swissville, Pa., are used in these plants. A brief description of each is as follows:

Interlocking plant at Carnforth at crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and Chicago & North-Western railways. Erected and maintained by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway. This is a Union Switch and Signal company's plant with a sixteen (16) lever frame; there are eleven (11) active levers and five (5) blank spaces; two of these levers are electric locked. There are five (5) derailing and one (1) ordinary switch operated from tower. Three (3) derailing switches and one (1) ordinary switch on the Chicago & Northwestern railway and two (2) derailing switches on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railway. Two (2) switches inside of distance signals are bolt-locked to distance signals. In addition to the six (6) switches there are ten (10) signals operated from this tower.

Grand Junction interlocking plant at crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and Chicago & North-Western railways. This is a Union Switch and Signal company's plant with a twenty (20) lever frame; it has eighteen (18) working levers and twc (2) blank spaces. It has seven (7) levers for fourteen (14) switches, and fourteen (14) locks and five (5) signals and eleven (11) levers for eleven (11) signals and five (5) bolt locks. There are electric locks to two (2) levers. On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway there are five (5) derailing switches and three (3) ordinary switches operated from tower. On the Chicago & North-Western railway there are four (4) derailing switches and two (2) ordinary switches operated from tower. All main line switches on both roads that are inside of distance siguals are bolt locked and cannot be moved except when distant signal stands at caution.

Interlocking plant at Libertyville at crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with the Chicago, Ft. Madison & Des Moines railway. Erected and maintained by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway. This is a National Switch and Signal

company's plant, with a twelve (12) lever frame. Six (6) active levers and six (6) blank spaces. Six (6) levers work four (4) derailing switches and four (4) home signals. The distant signals at this plant are stationary and stand at caution.

Interlocking plant at Fairfield crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway. Erected and maintained by Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway. This is a National Switch and Signal company's plant with a thirty-two (32) lever frame; there are twenty-six (26) active levers and six (6) blank spaces; thirteen (13) of these levers operate twenty (20) switches, twenty (20) locks and two (2) pot signals; the other thirteen (13) levers operate nineteen (19) signals and eleven (11) bolt locks. The east bound distant signal on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway is a stationary signal and stands at caution. There are twelve (12) derailing and eight (8) ordinary switches operated from this tower, six (6) of the derailing switches and four (4) of the ordinary being on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway and four (4) ordinary and six (6) derailing on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. Interlocking plant at Ottumwa at crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. Erected and maintained by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. This is a National Switch and Signal company's plant with a twenty (20) lever frame. It has nineteen (19) working levers and one (1) blank space, eight (8) levers working thirteen (13) switches and two (2) targets and eleven (11) levers working thirteen (13) signals. On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific there are two (2) derailing and one (1) ordinary switches operated from tower and on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy there are eight (8) derailing switches and two (2) ordinary switches operated from tower.

Interlocking plant at Belknap at crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway with Wabash railway. Erected and maintained by Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway. This is a Union Switch and Signal company's plant with a twenty (20) lever frame. There are fifteen (15) active levers and five (5) blank spaces. Six (6) of these levers operate eight (8) switches and (7) locks, one (1) lever operates one (1) facing point lock and four (4) crossing detector bars and eight (8) of the levers operate twelve (12) signals and nine (9) bolt locks. On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway are three (3) derailing and one (1) common switches and four (4) crossing detector bars operated from tower, and on the Wabash railway are three (3) derailing switches and one (1) common switch operated from

tower.

Interlocking plant at Neola at crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway and Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway. This is a Union Switch and Signal company's plant with sixteen (16) lever frame and sixteen (16) active levers. Seven (7) of these levers operate ten (10) switches, ten (10) locks and three (3) signals and nine (9) of these levers operate twelve (12) signals. On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway there are three (3) derailing and one (1) common switches and on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway there are four (4) derailing and two (2) common switches operated from tower.

Interlocking plant at Southwest Davenport at crossing of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railways. This is a National Switch and Signal company's plant with a twenty (20) lever frame and fifteen (15) active levers. Five (5) of these levers operate eight (8) switches and eight (8) locks and eleven (11) of these levers operate twelve (12) signals and nine (9) bolt locks. On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway are five (5) derailing and one (1) common switches operated from tower and on Burling. ton, Cedar Rapids & Northern railway are two (2) derailing switches operated from tower.

SUPREME COURT'S OPINION ON REASONABLENESS OF IOWA MAXIMUM RATES.

Barris et al v. C., B. & Q.

In the opinion of the board one of the most important decisions relating to transportation, that has been rendered since the law creating the board of railroad commissioners has been enacted, was made by the supreme court of this state in the case of Barris and others versus the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, which is found in the 71 Northwestern Reporter, beginning on page 339.

The statute under consideration in that opinion was enacted by the Twenty-second General Assembly, and the opinion refers to a railroad company making what was alleged to be an unreasonable freight charge, the court holding that the company is not relieved from liability to the shipper in treble damages therefor, although the rate charged was that fixed by the board of railroad commissioners under section 17 of that act, which provides that the commissioners shall make a schedule of reasonable maximum rates which shall be prima facie evidence that the rates therein fixed are reasonable.