The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-05-11
FREIGHT TARIFFS AND PRICES.

40 t"e EdAor OF TIE Eagle:
Some time since l wrote to you callinc
your attention to speech delivered by Col
Robert G.. 1ngersoll in illinois, and pub
lisiied in the EAGLE, and theerroneous pro-
position that cheap freights 10 the seaboarJ
would not enhance the price the farmer re-
cei'es for his grain, in which view you seem
to coincide. now go to show that you and
Col. Insersoll are entirely wrong in your
conclusions, and that the position you oc.
cupy is entirely erroneous.
Tour conclusions are built upon the theory
that the productions OF all labor are gov.
erned and controlled in the markets of the
world by the cost of their production en-
nrely, and, consequently, if all the grain in
The West were shipped to New York free,
TIE cost Of getting it into the markets of the
world would be reduced just the amount
charged for ireights, and if that should be.
say 20 cents per bushel, all the grain markets
OF the world would drop down 20 cents and
smash all the ''bulls- in christendom fatter
than pancake.
MY dear sirs. it is a law Of commerce as
Interchangeable as the laws of Media Persia
That prices are governed by demand and sup.
ply. when our corn and wheat and pork
are sold in New York, it is supposed 10 bring
what II is worth in the markets of Europe
where II is to be consumed, just less the
freight to those points. And whether we
may have paid the railroads two.tbirds of
the value of our produce to carry it from
Kansas, or whether they may have trans
ported it free. it will bring Just the same
price. Ii it should be wheat, and bring in
New York sl.50, and freights are 81 90 per
bushel, the farmer would get 80 cents; II
shipped free, he would get Sl.50 per bushel
Mr.. Editor, if reductions of freight CHARGES
do not raise correspondingly the price Of
produce, why do you advocate the building
OF competing lines of railway. Corn brings
more this year than last, not because IL cost
more to produce it, but because we have less
corn IN proportion TO the demand. Horses
are worth more now than last year, not be-
cause 1t costs more to raise horse this year.
but because more people are wanting horses
I'D proportion TO those that want to sell. |
Eggs are worth less now than in March, not
because 1t costs the hen less to lay them, but |
people do not eat so many eggs since Easter |
and more hens have gone into the business.
Col. lngersoll says the consumer paws the |
freights, conveying to the farmers the idea
that high freights do not effect them. Then
When he lectures on tariff he says: "You
farmers want TO go for protective tariff,
md then you will build factories near your
arms and make market near your farms,
instead of sending your produce to Europe
o Iced the operatives, thereby saving to the
armer the cost Of transportation" That
eminds me OF an old uncle in Pennsylvania.
lie used to say: "Boys, don't lie don't new
n tell lie. 1fyou tell one lie you will have
o tell three or four more to get out of that
me, and after while you'll be bad boys"
mat was in Greene county where 1 was
aised. Hons. John Kelley, Judge Torrance,
ames G. Blaine and j. NJ. Steele had their
broughten up over in the adjoining county
1 Washington. l never heard that people |
we're so particular over there with their s
young uns.' Mr.. Editor, do not mean to
ay that you or Col. IDgersoll would tell !
e; not at ALL But you are wrong on this q
transportation OF grain; and when you argue 5
irih you viii have to take another wrong =
osition, and SO on, and after time you will
e very illogical. t
Suppose Kansas had one million bushels of
heat to ship and freights were advanced to
lree dollars per bushel to New York. what
ould be the effect on the markets? 1.-THE u
rmers were to give the wheat in part pay
OH III, Ill |
would not have any effect; but if they
ere to refuse TO do that and feed the wheat
the stock or burn it up, the price of IL
heat would advance. If some one should
vent machine with which the farmers of Z
ansas could raise wheat at cost of five
nts Der bushel, what would be the effect Of
! the markets Of the worlds IL we were to OF
oduce with our machine less wheat than III
now dc, wheat would advance: but if we 81
ere to produce, say fifty million bushels
Dre. wheat would decline in all the markets Je
the world, provided freights were not SO p'
Oh as to prohibit its transportation. Well, &c
w, suppose coal is worth two dollars per
liars, and coal in Wichita sells ut four dol
s per ton. If the railroad were to trans
TT the coal free. would it not be sold in de
chita at two dollars per ton, the same as m,
Usage: See here, young man, that two 10,
lars freight is just what makes coal sell fol
two dollars at Usage. They have more Ia,
II than they can consume, and those for III
n markets regulate their prices If in
Ighfs to Wichita and other points where I'M
lge coal is sold for four dollars were re- mn
we'd entirely, coal at Usage would be sL,
rth four dollars quicker than seat or else we
n on the wrong row. int
FARMER DooLITTLE. the
YPsUM TOWNSHIP, May LIST.
FOO long to attempt categorical answer.
we will ask our friend just one ques-
!; IL all freight tariffs from New Eng
to Kansas were abolished. would the iyi'
lufacturer Of your agricultural imple- 10
It's in Massachusetts or New York get apy Tee
her price for his product. In other Inc
DIS, wouldn't you buy your cultvator for out
the amount Of the freight less than Oh
now pay PED. EAGLE.] sur