Wichita eagle., 1890-02-07
THE UNSOLvED PROBLEM.
WICHITA, Kan, Feb. 6, 1890.

WICHITA, han., rep. ., ICJU.
! To the Editor of the Eagle.
Kapzan, in his article in Sundays
EAGLE on the Emergency Rate question,
starts out bys saying that she may be
wrong in his conclusions" After read
| ing his article carefully, L have concluded
that he is wrong in part; in the conclu-
| sion that reduction of rates would
cause an equivalent or corresponding
reduction in the .price.of corn in eastern
markets. The reduction of rates is in
| tended for Kansas and Nebraska only,
and while the crop of corn in these two
| states is very large, it is small when COM
pared with the entire crop of the coun-
| try. And as the price of corn is down
to an export basis, the free movement in
| these two states would not affect the
price. Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, with
very large crop Of corn, have much to
do in governing prices. The people of
| Kansas and Nebraska ask for reduc-
ton to st. Louis and Chicago. If the
bears should use it as pretext to pull
down the market, the farmers east of the
Missouri river will say, 1--WE don't want
to sell; or we will ship to the seaboard,
where corn is in demand at export
prices" St. Louis and Chicago must
fall in line.
In the month of December, last, the
shippers could not secure cars fast
enough to move the corn then offered
for sale. st. Louis, Toledo, Baltimore
and other places were blocked with
corn: the price continued higher than it
is today, with light receipts and the side
| tracks full of empty grain cars. The
large markets are all clear of their block
ade: Kansas and Nebraska are sending
no corn east; there is good demand at
present prices, but it does not advance.
In less than sixty days we have seen our
markets glutted with corn, Kansas and
Nebraska furnishing their part, but no
material break in prices. Now our
markets are clear. and Kansas and Ne
braska shipping none, and prices don't
advance.
There was a time when Wichita deal
ers were sending their corn to st. Louis
for one dollar per car, and it had no
effect on st. Louis prices. Will KanZan
explain how it would affect the market
| in Liverpool? If a reduction of Kansas
rates is going to lower the price of corn
in the east, why not make them higher
and by so doing raise the price in
Chicago? 1t would not benefit our
western farmer, but it would help his
eastern brother, and no one would suffer
from it, if Kanzan is correct in his con-
clusion.
The state officials and leading papers
in Nebraska have taken a much more
decided stand on this question than any
of our Kansas people. The governor
first requested, then demanded
reduced rate, claiming that it was
due the people of his state.
Most of the state officers are
now in Chicago laboring with the
management of the Nebraska roads; the
attorney general ADVISES the reducing of
rates inside Of their state until the rail-
roads are compelled to grant their re-
quest, as he is tired of begging.
There is no doubt but the bears would
use any reduction in rates to pull the
prices down, but it can only react after
few days, as the export prices must
govern.
Our people are burning their corn and
piling it up on the ground to rot-wast-
ing it in numerous ways; little is being
sold-our crop will soon be gone and no
one will receive any benefit from it, If
we could secure rate that would cause
our corn to move freely the farmers
could pay their debts, roads would be
benefited. Yours truly,
GRAIN DEALER