Wichita eagle., 1889-05-23
COME TO STAY.
WHY WICHITA WAITED AND
WAITED.
A Few More FONTS Touching the Com
missioners Decision Making WITCH
ita a Terminal City.

/
cision of the state board of railway com
missioners making Wichita a termina
point, the average reader has had NJ
difficulty in concluding that the edito
of the EAGLE, at least, entertains bu
little fear that the order will ever be re
scinded. Such a conclusion is correct
The order will never be rescinded, no
only for the reasons set forth in pre-
ceding editorials, but for stronger one!
which were not brought forward be-
cause the exigenciss of the case have
not yet demanded them. Wichita /!
just as much terminal point today a:
Kansas City, the difference between the
two being only one of degree. The
truth is that the declarations of fact
contained in the decision itself cannot
be overthrown by railway attorneys or
by their traffic managers. The de-
cision was based upon AN EXCEs-
SIvE DIVERSITY OF TRAFFIC AND
MINIMUM TONNAGE. That is, the
commissioners found from the memorial
as from the verified figures furnished
them by the actual shippers themselves,
that both in the diversity of traffic and in
the minimum of tonnage, mo other city in
Kansas anywhere nearly equalled Wich-
TIA, and that such diversity and such
minimum were alike characteristic of
jobbing points, not only in being exces-
sive, but also as to the classes of which
they were constituted.
The above is one reason why we have
not thought it possible that any purely
railroad pressure, however great, could
possibly force resembling of that order.
another reason was that we
know that no three men in
in the state of Kansas than that COM
mission more thoroughly and compre-
hensively understood that the resembling
of that order would be equivalent to say
ing that because Of the traffic arrange
ments and interests Of Kansas railroads,
whose terminals lie beyond the boundary
Of the state, Kansas can never have
within her borders city of terminal ia
cilitles, and that the state must there
fore be denied any chance of such
wealth and greatness as is afforded
and maintained by great job
bling marts and commercial cen
tiers. That commission never can be
brought to say any such thing, or to put
their names, which carry the power Of
the state with them, to decision which
would emasculate the state in the inter-
est Of another state or such other states
city or railway interests. 1t might be
possible that because of the existence of
some legal difficulty in giving the rates
made for Wichita practical effect in
some directions, that a modification
might really be demanded, but
if such is found to be the
case the modification will be
made in the interest of the state and of
its principal commercial center and not
in the interest of traffic arrangements
which reach beyond the state. The me-
mortal presented by Wichita upon which
the discussion was based, and copy of
which was furnished all the lines reach
ing Wichita, was very guarded and
one, at no point being as
emphatic as have been our own words,
and not only that but the demand was
made for ruling for the territory di-
rectly tributary to Wichita, and it in no
way interfered with the territory of any
other jobbing point in this or any other
state, SO that we are emphatic in the
declaration that the order will never be
rescinded.
On the 4th of June, among other
things. the railway attorneys will put
forward the plea, that it has not vet been
determined which will be the great city
of the Arkansas Valley. With Just as
much force and truth these attorneys
could declare that it has not been deter
mined which of the towns on the Mis-
souri, river valley is to be the greatest
it be st. Joe, Atchison, Leaven-
worth or Kansas City. 1t is Just as
much a question with the people of
which town on the Missouri
river is gong to be the greatest, as it is
a question with the people Of Kansas
City which town on the Arkansaw river
is going to be the greatest There is, in
fact, no question about it. While Sedg-
wich county's population is greater than
any other county in the state, the popu-
lation of Wichita is greater than that of
the county outside of the city. OF no
other city in the valley is that true.
1t only shows that Wichita is the only
city of the valley that is more than
a country town, city which is greater
than the greatest county and that it
therefore reaches beyond the county in
its trade and influence. As terminal
and traffic point Wichita has more lines
of railway than any city in the west ex-
cept Kansas City, and not excepting
Omaha or st. ice. All of the towns
one hundred and over in number-of the
covered by The decision of the
railway commissioners of the
state. patronize Wichita more or less.