Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-27
ELEVATORS AND TRACK LOAD
ING.

Extract from Report of Railroad Commission
Prior 10 the taking effect Of the railroad
| law under which this commission acts, diff
ferent rules prevailed upon different roads
in respect TO the loading of grain in bulk on
to cars. Upon some roads an extra charge
Of two cents per hundred was made TO those
who loaded and unloaded their grain upon
the side track from or BY means of wagons,
at places where elevators or dumps existed;
| while in other instances track loading, as it
was called, was altogether prohibited where
elevator facilities were established. Upon
| investigation of the matter the board, early
after coming into Office, established differ
ent rule, which the railroad companies oper-
at;ng in that state adopted, and have since
| followed, viz: That no distinction should
be made in the rates on grain shipments be-
between those who loaded or unloaded
i through elevators and those who did not,
aud that no one should be prohibited from
loading or unloading his grain upon the
track by means of wagons; but that those
who failed to avail themselves of elevator
| facilities, where they existed, and loaded
| from, or unloaded into, wagons, and by that
means unreasonably detained cars upon the
side track, might be taxed re ;soDable de
murrage charge for such detention. Since
I
ceived complaint from numerous elevator
men, who represent to the Board that the
operation oft interferes seriously with their
business. and impairs greatly the value Of
their property.
| Ii would seem to the inevitable that this
| would be one of the results of such an order.
! Elevators have, at all considerable points, in
| the state, been built 10 handle the great
crops Of grain that are annually produced,
and with sufficient capacity in nearly all
cases 10 handle all the grain brought TO such
points for shipment. The business Of the
| elevators is curtailed by SO much as loading
is done from wagons.
The immense crops raised every year in
the western states render the elevator as in
dispensable necessity rs the reaping ma
chimes by which the grain is harvested. If
all gain were loaded upon cars from wagons
| end unloaded in the same way, it would be
impossible to furnish a sufficient number 10
! move the crops, exeepta at a greatly increased
expense, which would considerably exceed
the aggregate elevator charges. This would
be caused BY the greater detention of cars
from track loading. and would decrease to
that extent the carrying facilities of the COM
panies 1t is therefore a matter of quite
| grave importance, both 10 railroads and the
people TO provide and maintain elevator
| facilities wherever needed. 1t was to en-
courage the building of elevators, and to
protect those established, that the rules here
| fofore mentioned as having been en-
forced by the railroad companies
were sdopted. While recognizing cogent
reasons for these rules discriminating be-
tween tract, and elevator loading, the board
were not able 10 see their way clear TO sus-
tain them under existing laws. Indeed, in
the absence of appropriate laws regulating
elevator charges, we did not deem il either
safe, expedient or just to the grain producer
to adopt or sanction measures which sought
to compel him to employ elevators to handle
his grain.
II is Represented TO us that the track load
ers are not ths farmers, but class of men
who. without an established business in the
localities where they operate, and without
the necessity of capital, purchase wheat dur
ing the busy part of the season during
which grain shipments are made, and load the
same on cars direct from farmers wagons,
thus saving to themselves the expenses incl
dental TO handling through elevators. These
men can afford to paw a small fraction more
/ for grain than elevator men, who have con-
siderable amount of capital invested in ele-
vator property. But il is the very existence
OF elevators that makes it possible fo- these
transient spectators to offer this slight
advantage, and gather their accompanying
profits.
tors greatly facilitate the handling and expe-
dite the shipmeBss of grains, and that but
for them in states like Kansas, for instance,
railroad companies could supply adequate
facilities 10 move the crops only by increas-
ing greatly the number of their ears, which
{ during portion Of the year must lie idle,
and adding very materially to the cost OF
the service; cost, too, which would tell
upon the rates for transportation. Ii nee
essarily follows that to dispense
altogether with elevator facilities
would add to the total cost of getting the
grain TO market, and by that much would
depress the price paid the producer. But
the larger portion of the grain is handled
through elevators, aud the amount handled
bv track leaders is no. sufficiently large to
require additional railroad facilities to tell
sensiblv on the rates: but sufficient. never
theless, 20 diminish legitimate elevator profits
and to discourage ihe development Of that
class Of necessary facilities.