The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-07-26
MUoi REDUCE RATES.
Energetic Action of the Missouri Railroa'
Commissioners.

| Energetic Action of the Missouri Railroad
| Commissioners.
KANSAS CITY. Mo-, July 10 The State
Board of Railroad Commissioners yester-
iay rendered a decision concerning the
| proposition to reduce rates on grain, live
stock and coal on all railroad lines in the
State of Missouri, and issued notice to
! the managers of all roads in the State di-
recting them to reduce freight rates on
| grain 10 per cent and rates on live stock
and coal % per cent, the reduction to go.
| into effect without delay. The news will
| be received by the railroads with any
thing but joyful expressions, but farmers,
! livestock shippers and coal operators
will hail the reduction with great satis-
faction.
Last night a reporter called upon Col.
onel j. B. Breathitt, one of the Commits
sioners, who is in the city and stopping at
the Midland. When asked in regard to
the reported sweeping reduction of rates,
Colonel Breathitt said: Eyes, we have
| just concluded a ten days. session of the
board at Jefferson, during which time we
| have been in conference with the general
managers and traffic managers of the diff
\ ferent railroad lines in the State regard
| ing the proposition to reduce rates and
| the result of the hearing will be made
known to all the roads in the State to-mor-
row, copies of the opinion and order of the
board having been mailed to-day 10 the
general freight departments of all the
roads. The order takes effect at once,
and applies to every line of railroad doing
business in the State"
| hat are the reductions?"
| "We made a careful examination of the
railroad earnings and expenses of the
roads for 1887, 1888 and the first half of
1889, as far as we were able to obtain re-
| ports for the latter year and ordered a re-
duction of % per cent. in livestock rates,
| 10 per cent. in grain rates and % per cent.
| in coal rates--the latter reduction bringin
| all the lines down to that ordered in the
| Lexington coal case"
"What will the redu ctions amount tosr
| ave estimate" replied Colonel Breath
lit, that the reductions will amount to be-
tween $4,000 to $780, 900 per annum,
which, however, will not affect the roads
so seriously as might be supposed on first
| thought. The annual report by the board
of the condition of the State railroads for
1888 has been delayed in the printing Of
flee, but will appear in a few days. 1t
shows that during the year 1888 there
were 5S4 So more miles OF road in opera
ton than in 1887, while on the other
hand there was a falling of in earnings
under those OF 1887. The earnings of State
roads in 1887 were S33 ZIG. 3l3.1S The adj
vance sheets of the report for 1888 show
the earnings to have been $40 2S3, 9II.22, q
decrease So. $50 9S4ss These figures rep
resent the total earnings from all sources.
The freight earnings for 1887 were S2i, OlS,-
3i6 25: 1888 they were ST.. 1876 963 SO. a fall.
ys o. a n l.
the expenses for 1883 We're Sl6,3Is. &c. g.
while in 1887 thew were Sl3 All. 1867, q
differ ence of 81 $40. 1855 O6"
How do you account for such falling
off of earnings?"
BY reductions and cutting of rates by
the roads themselves. In 1887 the roads
| in the State received S1.92 Der ton for ali
freight hauled In ISIS they received
only LIP per ton, an average reduction of
so cents per ton. beside which the present
reduction appears trifling by comparison.
The business for the first half of 1889 is
very much better than it was last year."
"When will the new rates 60 into ef-
fect!"
| LAS soon as possible" said Commits.
| sioner Breathitt. THE secretary is send
ing the order out to all the roads and our
| effect in time to move the present crops
There will be no delay in the matter"
In regard to the new Grain Inspection
law and the process which the State Grain
Board is making in putting it into effect
Colonel Breathitt who is a member of the
board by virtue of his Office as Railroad
Commissioner, said:
1--WE will soon put the new grain inspec-
ton law into force. The commission will
go to Chicago about August 5 and will
spend ten days in that city investigating
the workings of the law, after which
the new inspection law of Missouri
is modelled. As soon as we return.
which will be about August is we
will appoint the chief grain inspector.
There are over a dozen applications filed
with the board for the position, all of
them backed up by good Endorsements
We shall appoint the very best Democrat
we can find who is qualified for the posi-
ton, without being influenced by location
or favoritism. The pay is about 50 500 per
year and the inspector will appoint bis
own force"
"How many assistants or deputies will
be requireds"
'.About fifty. There are forty.five in
Chicago and we have estimated that il
will take about fifty for the whole State Of
Missouri. We have received a great
many applications. which have been
placed on file and will be turned over to
the chief inspector when he is appointed.
The law requires that no member of q
board of trade or proprietor of a grain
warehouse or elevator can be a grain IN
spector. He must, however. be grain
expert and will have to undergo an ex-
animation into his ability in that line"