Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-01-16
UNFAIR TREATMENT BY TIE MS
SOURI, PACIFIC RAILWAY
COMPANY.

W.
Tho Iutelligencer does not make
dem gogicai nu cries against corpora
'.ois. OLuan>. h, nre corporations
& Goe. -. I'D l.. Iirel>orlb'c pbihn'
iar t .aui AZ. ii desire, To Oe jIdlciai'y
Just in the discussion OF public ques-
lions, to maintain the truth, and while
advocating the interests of the people
surrounding tito be fair to others. We
have never been otherwise to the Mis-
souri, Pacific railroad or TO the LeXlng'
! ton Coal Mining Company. To the lat
ter we have been and are very friendly,
primarily because we think its success
beneficial to the community.
While we disclaim anything like I'M
friendliness or hostility to the railroad
company, as such, yet we must say, as
we have heretofore intimated, that the
recent advance in the rate OF freight
on coal from this place west, is unwise,
unfair, unnecessary and prejudicial to
the interests OF Lexington and the adj
jacent coal field.
For four years certain rates prevailed
which were reasonable but Whtch were
not as lou as were 0ivem by the Wabash,
voluntarily, to shippers oeer a greater
distance. On or about December 81,
ultimo, the Missouri Pacific put up the
rates on coal to 80 cents per ton. Find
ing, afterward, that this was 5 cents
more than was allowed by law, the
rate was, to avoid trouble, reduced to
IS cents per ton to Kansas City. We
are told that the legal notice OF the adj
vance was not given. For this we
care nothing; it is to the question OF
the advance itself that we wish to ad
dress ourselves. The advanced rate, now
prevalent. over the lowest rate previous
ly given from here to Kansas City, is Is
cents per ton; the advance to Atchison
is 81 cents per ton, or over a cent per
bushel. Our markets lie that way.
We want to say right here. that we
are not ch%ampioning any mans cause,
but in what we write we propose to
defend the rights of all private opera
tors III coal as against what seems to
us a monopolistic attempt to freeze
them out; all effort, which while wrong
in itself, isalso in reality all attack upon
Missouri coal mines and in favor Of
the coal of neighboring states, which
are within reach of our western mar
kets for that product. We care nothing
for the Mo. z. railway conpany's quar-
rels with an individual, or with that
individuals quarrels with the company,
except as they effect the prosperity of
this county. We desire to see the
Missouri Pacific railroad company do
good business with the mines which
1t controls at this place. We have
this by uniform friendly treat
,nent toward the company. We wish
them to make all the money they can
realize by fair dealing and by honor
able competition. But the Missouri
Pacific railway is, first of all, a COM
mon carrier, whose business it is made,
by law, to carry all mems freights
without discrimination for or against.
If it chooses to enter the coal business,
well and good; but in order to do so
it must not use its power as a carrier
build up lis own business and 10
tear down that of others. When it
does that it departs from its character
of a public carrier, and becomes a
machine for private ends and pur-
poses.
If there had been any good reason
why coal freights should be advanced
twenty-five per cent, and more, we
should not say a word. If steel rails
we're suddenly greatly enhanced i'll
if lumber was higher; if the
of labor was advanced; if the
'alary list was increased; if the pay
oils generally were larger, then we
;ould see a reason why treights which
been satisfactory for four years
be, all at once, advanced. But,
g a matter-of.fact it is notorious that
everything is cheaper; that labor is cut
lown to the lowest possible rate; and
nat expenses have been greatly
'urtailed.
1t cannot be the purpose of the COM
'any to arm more money by the adj
lance, because its result is to shut up
il. the mines but its own. But, say
he friends of the road, the Lexington
oal company pays the freights demand
ID of the private operators. No
The money in that way goes
mt Of one pocket aud enters another
'ocket in what is practically the same
air of pantaloons. The animus of the
'lvance is, probably, best seer in the
act, that about the time it was made
he representative of the Gould mines at
Kansas City, announced in a half-page
advertisement in the Times, a reduc-
ion in the price Of coal, delivered there
consumers, from 16 cents TO 9 cents
er bushel. What did that mean2
Ireater supply? What! III IL day to
ause a shrinkage in value of 7 cents
err bushel? Hardly. 1t meant a
reconcerted effort to freeze III the
operators, or we are greatly
eceived. The two things could hardly
thcrwise have dove tailed into each
her SO conveniently. {
Now we hold that this is not far, |
luare treatment. There is no reason
lat we can see why the Missouri {
aciic railway company cannOt get on {
18th our people nicely and smoothly.
hey arc the easiest people i'll the
'orld to please. They staidimposition 4
'onderfuily well They pay a great j
cal more on their commercial freights 8
ian they should, and they never say a I
ord. They arc good customers
bod friends, indeed. Why antagonize !
lem? If the company would open its
les q little it could see that to wreak
upon one man it is warning :,
pom a community. When 1t stops
IL private mines it throws a large c
lmber Of men ont OF employment. =
'hen it puts up freights on our coal it !
IMPLY takes the money and business =
way from Missouri mines, miners and =
archanIs. and niuas Il To Iow. aud i