Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-13
MAXIMUM RATES.

A printed copy of bill which has
been introduced in the lower house OF
the Kansas Legislature, providing for,
among about twenty other things,
maximum rates for fares and freights
lies upon our table. Whatever MAY
be the opinion OF certain class OF
shippers, or however. vehement the
declaration of a certain class of dema-
gogues to the contrary, we have no
hesiia"cy in going upon the record
here and now with the assertion that
the declaration, if il ever comes, thai
that bill Is the law of Kansas, viii
prove the signal for a retrograde
movement in the states prosperity.
Politicians, for talk sake. and for the
votes they hope TO catch, may dilaic
upon the difference between public
snd ''private" property as much as
they please the fact remains that all
property is the representative of dol
lars and dollars are personal property.
The passage of that law Will bring
four-fifths of the state of Kansas to
a dead halt within year only that the
other fraction may hold the best OF
the situation. ANY representative or
senator living west of Topeka who
votes for that measure, votes directly
against the future welfare of his con-
stituents and to depreciate the value
of every acre of their ground, every
town lot or building, every bushel OF
corn or wheat owned or to be raised
by the undeveloped four-fiiths of the
state. To the present and prospective
of such cities as Wichita such a law |
would be more disastrous than could |
be made plain in one short article.
The greatest per cent. of the territory |
naturally tributary TO her as a
commercial point is unsupplied with
railroads, many of the counties
being without single line. A man
with money in his pocket whether he
lived in this state or wherever, would !
be fool to put his money into the
construction of railroads in stale |
under such law, just as big fool as
would be the man who would go into
raising corn, or wheat or horses, or
into making newspapers where there
was q law fixing the price beyond
which the product of his labor or cap
ital should not go. Wichita, for ill.,
stance. in fact the entire Arkansas val
lev, is now looking forward to the day |
when two or three of the other great
trunk lines of railway, terminating on
the Missouri river sh all be pushed
out TO this town and through this val
lev. An extension of the Alton X
Chicago, the Rock Island & Pacific or
other lines of road would guarantee
more advantages, greater increase of
property valuation and more satisfac
tory freight rates, than all the bills
that could be passed by our legislature
in six months or ever. With such a
law in operation no set of men will
risk their money in such extensions
With such ii law one railroad would
be just as good for a town or coun-
~ as a dozen. 80 far aS transportation
is concerned. Such a law cuts of any
chance of building up any great mar
kets. manufacturing or CONNIE rciai
cities west of The Missouri river. That
law would put Kansas in exactly the
same condition that Wisconsin. Iowa
and Minnesota were AT one time I'M
der like law, and which bill we sus-
pcct was copied from the repealed law
of one of the states mentioned. How
ever that may be, il is essentially the
same thing, and those states were set
back years under that law. Wichita
would not only be cut of from all
chances of becoming missouri river
point" so far as Through Ireights"
are concerned, but with a dozen extra
lines, would be no better
market than the neYt station of only a
few dozen inhabitants Central and
southern Kansas, the hope of this state
md its future, would be compelled to
wait until the surplus productions of !,
each locality became so great that rail-
'oads could be built under the rule of
maximum rates.