Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-06
THE RAILROAD AND COAL COMPA
MES.

The Missouri Pacific railroad COM
is necessary to the welfare of Lex
ington; it is, in fact,a part ofthe town;
its principal means of communication
with the world, and its chief carrier OF
freights. Common sense. therefore,
suggests that it is to the interest OF
our people to maintain amicable rela-
tions. with the railway corporation,
and we venture little in saying That 1t
is the desire of nine-tenths of our people
to be on friendly terms with it On
the other hand, little as it seems to be
appreciated, it is to the interest OF
the railroad company to be in accord
with the people. Difficulties and mis-
understandings will un~avoidably arise.
When they exist they should be frank
ly discussed, and the effort should be
made to right them. There should be no
bad temper displayed, OF violent words
used; first because there is no occasion
for it and, second, because it does no
manner of good. Politeness is very
cheap; and, in these days, vi~tuperative
discussion commands the respect of no
one.
The Missouri Pacific railroad COM
pany, doubtless, believes that it has the
right to fix freight rates at its own will
and pleasure, regardless of their just
ness. Its actions lead us to this con-
clusion. This is a grievous error, and
one which if acted on is certain to lead
to a conflict which can only end in dis
aster to the company. Then why per-
sist in it? The legal, well established
| fact is, that the state can regulate this
matter in the interest of equity and
| Justice between its citizens.
| The railroad company, for -four
years, maintained a rate on coal of 6C
cents per ton from Lexington, to
Kansas City, thereby recogniZ'
ing its adequacy. During thai
time the Wabash was hauling coal
for a greater distance, into Kansas
CITY, for 80 cents a ton, and paying
toll over, a Missouri river bridge. i
this is true, and there is no doubt OF it
why would not AZ cents per ton be s
fair aud living rate? Now the railroad
company, instead of reducing its rate
puts it up to Is cents per ton, and thi'
for a haul of forty miles, and whel
they neither load nor unload the cars
We claim that this is unjust, unfair ,un
necessary, and that 1t is calculated ant
intended to break down our private
miners; indeed has already practically
closed up the second largest mines il
the county. and thrown over a hundred
of our miners out Of employment. w
think. this is an evil. Consequently.
we ask the state railroad commissioner
to fix a lower rate; such an II as viii
enable all of private miners to d.
business. The commissioners have tn
right to do this, under section S42 O
the Revised Statutes.
The intention to injure the privat
operator is shown by the further fac
that coal at Kansas City has been, b
the Lexington Coal Company, broker
down to a price less than it can be pro
duced and marketed for, under TIN
rates fixed by the railroad company
This is very easily shown. The mine
gets A cents for digging. The expens
of officers, repairs, keeping up mines
&C., amount,as we learn from the com
pany, to One cent more. The freigh
is three cents per bushel, and the cos
of selling at Kansas City l cent. Thi
makes 81 cents per bushel, Or Gel
more than the price at which the CON
pany sells coal, at retail; and the cos
here figured does not include rOyalt
on coal or interest upon capital stool
The only way the coal company ca
make any money at all is to receive
rebate on its freights from the rallroa
company. This is a species of COLT
sion which is dangerous to the public
80 much 80 that the constitution of tt
!. state of Missouri forbids a railway con
pany, directly or indirectly, to engas
in any business other than that expires
!, ly authorized in its charter. Gov. Pa
tison says the constitution of Pennsy
8 vania also contains this inhibition, al
he makes some pungent remarks Their
ON, which appear elsewhere. And Il
constitution of Missouri also provide
> art. XII, sec. %, that, "No presider
e director, officer. agent or employe
" any railroad company, shall be inte
y ested, directly or indirectly. in furnis
i ing materials OF supplies to such comp
y nv, or in the business of transportati'
as a common carrier of freight or pas
It engers over the works owned, lease
controlled or worked by such comp
!. n.y." 1t is admitted that the railro;
q and coal companies are practically on
O therefore both of these provisions
d the constitution are thereby violate
d A discriminatory violation of the la
= can easily be proven against the ia
way company in connection with
rates which have prevailed for sol
y years.
A continuance Of the present stat
:, means that private coal operators mi
90 out of the business. 1t means, fl
q Their, that the increased value that pc
tains to all lands upon the line of t
- railway, which contain coal, must
largely impaired when it a OF
be minedbythe consent and at the ple'
ure of the railway corporation. II
condition of affairs IS, of course, int
- cradle. The citizens of q free count
d, who would quietly submit to sncll
condition of affairs would be unwort
e. of the boon OF freedom. Their nc
De action would be 4 craven submission
~ a tyranny greater than that of the co
De munist or anarchist. The law is
q fective in that the individual q
On grieved must bring suit in cases wilt
the railroad violates the law. SIN
g. operators fear to do this, as a III
If though Messrs. Macy, Hartman, 81
,is we'll and others did, a short time a
i'll begin proceedings. They were p
on without getting into court. The W
fare which they met then, howev