The Red Cloud chief., 1889-07-26
MUST REDUCE RATES.
Energetic Action Of the Missouri Railroad
Commissioners.

MUST REDUCE RATES.
Energetic Action Of the Missouri Railroad
Commissioners.
KANSAS CRY. Mo, July l9-The State
Board of Railroad Commissioner yester.
day 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 q 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 livestock
and coal % per cent, the reduction to 60
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 salts.
faction.
. Last night q reporter called upon Col.
onel J. B. Br-athitt, 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 Breathiet said: Eyes, we have
just concluded q 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 theroads 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,
n applies to every line Of railroad doing
business in the State"
"What are the reductions:n
w made a careful examination OF the
railroad earnings N expenses of the
roads for 1857, 1888 and the first half of
1859, as far as We were able to obtain re-
ports for the latter year and ordered Q re-
duction of % per cent. in live rates,
10 per cent. in grain rates and . per cent
in coal rates--the latter reduction tringing
all the lines down to that ordered in the
Lexington coal case"
CIV hat will the reductions amount toy"
" estimate" replied Colonel Breath
lit, that the reductions will mount to be-
tween $4,000 to $3.50. 600 per annum,
which. however. will not affect the roads
SO seriously as might he supposed on first
thought The annual report by the board
of the condition of the State railroads for
ISIS has been delayed in the printing Of
flee, but will appear in a few days It
shows that during the year 1883 there
Were 5S4 Sc more miles of road in opera.
tion than in 1887, while on the other
hand there was 4 falling OF in earnings
under those OF 1sS.. The earnings of State
roads in 1ss1 were $33. Iii. 3la is The ad.
vance sheets of the report for 1888 show
the earnings to have been SO. 2S3, 91...e2 a
decrease S3,S So 33i.s6. These figures rep
resent the total earnings from all sources.
The freight earn ings for 1857 were S2s,G1S..
GAG -: less they were 81, Acc 96i 50, a fail.
ing off of ST. ISL Glass. On the other hand
the expenses for lSsS We're Sl6.S sS. 6s6 81.
while in 1SS. thew were Sl3. Al. 435 u, a
Inference of S1.5io. 135 Of"
How do you account for such q falling
of of earnings:"
by reductions and cutting Of rates by
the roads themselves. In 1857 the roads
in the State received S1.9s per ton for all
freight hauled. In l>SS they received
only Sl.l: per ton, an average reduction of
50 cents per ton, beside which the present
reduction appears irifling 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-
fec::"
LAS soon as possible" said Commits
cAoAANA
ing the order out to all the roads and our
object is 10 have the new rates so into
effect in time to move the present crops.
There will be no delay in the natter"
In regard to the new Grain Inspection
law and the process which the State Grain
Board is making in putting it into effect
Colonel B~reathitt who is a member of the
board by virtue of his office a. Railroad
Commissioner aid
I'VE will soon put the new grain !nspec.
ton law into force. The commission will
go to Chicago about August 8 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 IS we return.
which will be about August 16 We
will appoint the chief grain inspector.
There are over q 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 ind who Is qualified for the posi-.
ton. withou: being Influenced by location
or favoritism The pay is about s.. 500 per
year and the inspector will appoint his
own force"
allow many assistants O deputies will
ereauired:"
"About fifty. There are forty-ive in
Chicago and we have estimated that il
will take about fifty for the whole State of
Missouri. We have received q 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 q grain
warehouse or elevator can be a grain In.
spector. He must, however, be a grain
expert and will have to undergo an X
animation INTO his ability in that line"