Wichita eagle., 1889-03-31
Che aaaita nailg Eage: sunday aorin gsrt 81, 1898

which is obtained in Chicago, ST Louis
and Kansas City, are very high, and con-
seuuently it is hard for them TO compete
with others in business of the same char
acter. Complaint is further made OF the
difference between car load and less than
| car load rates, and that, although the
company aims to buy enough of different
articles TO constitute a car load, the same
rates are charged upon the freight as OBJ
| tain upon broken car load lots. We deem
| it unnecessary to enlarge upon this COM
plant or to consider its merits. for the
/ simple reason that. whether it constitutes
grievance or is without foundation. we
have no power TO pass Judgment
upon it. The rates complained
/ OF are wholly inter state,
| the jurisdiction over which, in so far as
| public control is concerned, is vested IN
! the interstate commerce commission
| The same remarks apply to rates on
! material brought from other states for the
| supply of the sash and door factory and
| the iron foundries situated at Wichita in
| like manner the rates upon merchandise
| purchased for the jobbing trade are all in
| ter-state As to all these the chief COM
| plant refers TO the rates upon the manu-
| featured products of those works, and
! those pertaining to the jobbing business
| from Wichita. So far as we have been
able to ascertain the merchandise and
| other articles which would comprise the
present jobbing shipments from that point
are included in the first, second and third
and fourth classes OF freight.
! The necessities of this jobbing business
| have 20 some extent been recognized by
the railroads operating to and from Wich-
ita. Rates better adapted TO this class OF
freight traffic have been made, and for
short time have been effective To a number
of stated points upon special tariffs These,
however, are of very limited application,
but it is alleged that within the range OF
their application the business OF the city
has received marked benefit.
No reason is perceived why special loo-
bling rates similar to those now in force
may not be extended to embrace a wider
field. 1t is more than probable that with
the development of manufacturing and
the enlargement of the pocking industry
in that city; its Importance as a distribu-
ting point will rapidly advance. It is
of Importance, not to Wichita alone
but to the state, that Its
pated further than repressed. The extent
TO which it may be able to participate in
the wholesale trade will depend in great
measure upon the ditferentials upon
through rates from distant commercial
centers, as compared with the sums OF
locals TO the intermediate jobbing points
that compete for the trade of the same ter
y.
the volume of traffic. 1t is, however, equal
ly essential that the local rates from the
distributing center should be placed upon
as favorable a basis as those of its compel
itors. AT the present time the outgoing
business of Wichita is subject to the rates
prescribed in the distant tariff, except as
to those points designated upon special
tariffs which cover but a comparatively
small territory. These rates are consider
ably higher than the class OF rates upon
freight movements to and from Missouri
river points They are not adapted to, nor
were they intended to accommodate a job
bing business. In this respect the COM
plant of the city OF Wichita that
its business interests are suffering
serious injury from this source of
discrimination comes, considering the
magnitude of its business, with strong
force. With but a small percentage of
differential upon its long haul merchan-
disc traffic, if the local rates are suffered to
turn the balance against 1t, its business
must go to the wall.
We think that it is but a measure of
justice to place the jobbing business and
manufacturing industries of Wichita, in
so far as outgoing rates TO points within
the state are concerned, upon the same ba-
sis as rates upon like kind of freights
from Missouri river points. 1t will not be
insisted. however, that these shall extend
to every portion of the state, but that they
should be effective over larger field than
the jobbing rates now in existence from
that city.
1t would probably be futile to extend
them to points very far east OF Wichita,
the advantages of such system of rates
would lie chiefly to the west, yet it is diff
cult to fix an arbitrary limit. But as job
bling rates must necessarily be to some ex-
tent experimental it is deemed best to fix
such a limit. We are of the opinion that
such a system of rates upon the classes
named should extend to all points west
and south of Wichita and to points within
distance of seYentv-five miles east of
that place, upon all the railroads operat-
ing to it,
As before stated we are clearly of the
opinion that the jobbing bust
ness of Wichita is at the
present time placed upon a basis of
unfair discrimination which it is import
ant to correct, and this can be done only
by the method here suggested or by re-
duction of the whole distance tariff. This
last would, in the present condition of
things, disastrously affect railroad inter
ests, while the latter would not. The
board therefore find and decide that it is
reasonable and expedient to extend to the
jobbing business of Wichita, within the
limits herein named, rates of freight equal
for like distances to the rates of freight
effective from Missouri river points, and il
is recommended by the board that each of
the respondent railroad companies
named in this decision prepare and
put in force within sixty days
from the date Of this decision
jobbing tariffs conforming TO this decision.
And further that rates chargeable upon
live stock shipments to the packing houses
or stock yards of Wichita be identical for
similar distances transported. with those
effective from points in Kansas to the Mis-
souri, river, and that tariffs conformable to
this decision upon live stock shipments
take effect upon each of said railroads
within the limits hereinbefore described
within thirty days OF the date of this de-
cision.
BIZ THE BOARD.
Topeka, March %, 1889.