Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-17
RAILROADS KICK.
Fighting the Reduction Of Rates to
Wichita.

| From the Topeka Capital
| The railroads in Kansas don't like the
| order which the board of railroad commits
sioners made recently reducing the mer-
! chandise rates to Wichita, and they are
| endeavoring to have the order withdrawn
| and the old schedule remain in force. The
conference held with the railroad commits
| sioners on Monday was for the purpose of
| discussing this matter. So greatly in
| terested are the railroad companies that
| they were all represented by their general
managers or some other equally important
official. General Manager st. John, of the
Rock Island, vice president Goddard and
General Traffic Manager White, of the
| Santa Fe, came all the way from Chicago
| to attend the meeting and TO make yigor-
Gus protest against the reduc-
proposed by the railroad commits
sioners. The matter was discussed at
length, and all the railroad men present
were decidedly of the opinion that to cut
the merchandise rates would be ruinous to
the railroads. They declare that it will
result in the complete decentralization of
the railroad rates of Kansas If Wichita
gets reduced rates they say that every
other city and town in Kansas would de-
mand il. To make general cut in rates
would simply bankrupt the railroads, they
say. The discussion was not concluded,
and in accordance with the request of the
representatives Of the railroads the board
has consented to hear further arguments
in the matter on Tuesday, June 4, at 2
p. m.
The above being from the state mouth
piece of at least one of Kansas railways
we will briefly answer:
The order giving Wichita a schedule
Of terminal rates, made by the state
board of railway commissioners, was
made after due notice to all of the lines
in interest, and after full days hearing
from both the shippers of this city and
from the representatives of the railroads.
The order was based, primarily,
on Wichita's tonnage. There was
no haste in the action and no
guess work. Upon the figures presented
and verified, Wichita showed that she
was just as much entitled to the rates
given as is any of the jobbing points on
the Missouri river. The language and
facts Of the decision itself are unanswer-
able. In 1887 the railway tonnage Of
Wichita was one-seventh of that of the
entire state, five or ten times that of any
other single interior city of Kansas.
Wichita, last year, handled more fruit
in a jobbing way than was handled by
Kansas City, Missouri. Today Wichita
is shipping into her markets more live
stock, and away from her markets more
cured meats and is slaughtering more
hogs than all of the other cities of the
state combined, Kansas City excepted
If tonnage and business are to have any
weight or to cut any figure in the ad-
justment Of freight tariffs and schedules
then Wichita is entitled to all the relief |
that the decision of the state railway
afforded. The state board |
of railroad commissioners was created |
by the legislature in the interest of the !
state, and not in the interest of railroad |
corporations, foreign Or home. Wichita |
is the only wholesaling point or jobbing
city IN Kansas, and she presents the !
only possible chance for an interior COM
center, and if she fails as such.
through the schemes of railway man
agements, then Kansas will have a
center other than the one on Missouri soil. |
The railroad commissioners in recogniz-
ing the claims Of this city as presented |
to them on undeniable figures, but re-
cognized the business interest of the
state for which they were organized and |
to act. If they should fail |
to stand by their decision they will fail !
in their duty to the state, and strike
down the hopes and chances of all other
coming cities Of Kansas. In so far as
Wichita Is now or in that she promises
TO be great and powerful commercial
center and interior market, in crushing
her the board in just SO far brushes Kan
5as only to build up foreign markets at
the expense of our own state. If freight
agents and managers from Chicago.
from st. Louis and Kansas CITY"
IAN appear before them and force
them to rescind their order, or
force them to modify that calm and
well digested decision in any way
hat will cripple the packing interests
and stock markets and jobping trade
md manufacturing establishments of
Wichita, IN which our enterprise has
already secured an investment of many
millions of dollars, then the people of
Kansas must through legal enactments
,hoke the very life out of the railroads
)r be choked themselves, as a state. to
he very death. No state was ever great
n the absence of a great and powerful
commercial city or cities. Wichita's
reight figures and her business statis-
les for the past two years, her growing
packing interests, her manufacturing
her beneficial live stock mar
lets, convinced the railway commission
rs that at least one city in Kansas was
entitled to be recognized as a terminal
shipping point, not only as matter of
Justice TO its business. but ia the
interest of the states present and
,uture welfare. The declaration of
he railway arrangements that all other