The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-15
THE FLOUR AND WHEAT RATE.
something of the Rate Reduction Asked on
Food PrOducts--The Investigation of
the Interstate Railroad Commits
sion the Texas Rate

MI. A. w. Oliver returned yesterday
from Washington Illinois, where he went
with others from Kansas and Nebraska to
appear before the Interstate railroad COM
mission on some matters relating to grain
rates. As may be remembered some months
| ago the senate by resolution instructed the
commission to investigate the proposition
of giving cheap transportation for food
products. The movement to secure inves-
tigation was championed by Kansas and
Nebraska. The two states hoped by the
movement to partially overcome the bur
| densome expense of transportation which
| left scarcely enough to compensate the
! producer for his labor.
The commission having Travelled over
the great grain producing states making
the investigation, the railroads asked to be
heard IN the matter and the request was
! granted and the Sth inst. set as the date in
| which they were to appear The railroads
appeared on that date submitting their
evidence in writing intended to show the
commission that the reduction asked
should not be granted
When this matter was disposed of tenn
/ pOrarily the commission took ND the Kauf-
man milling case, which concerns the rate
of wheat and -four from the other states
to Texas
The decision Of the commission in this
matter of the rates on -four and wheat TO
Texas IS being awaited with great interest.
The railroads charge ) cents more on a
hundred pounds of flour than for wheat.
The rate now in force was made several
years ago, when Texas had enjoyed several
years OF prosperous wheat raising and the
wheat crops IN Missouri and Kansas were
failures. In the belief that this was to
continue, number of mills were erected
IN Texas, and not a few Of them were con-
trolIed by the railroads. Almost im-
mediately the Texas crops began to fail,
while the crops in Missouri and Kansas
did well. Then this discriminating rate
was established by the roads to protect
the Texas mills.
The situation has heretofore been com
phcated by the general rate disturbances
The Santa Fe, the Missouri Pacific and the
Missouri, Kansas & Taxas have opposed a
settlement until the milling in transit
privilege granted to points outside of
Texas was abolished for the reason that
the restoration Of rates while the Missouri
and Kansas points had this privilege
would give the Missouri and Kansas mill
ers an advantage aver the Texas miIlers.
Now it is announced that the privilege
will be abolished on July q and then
there will be a restoration of rates which
will leave the Missouri and Kansas millers
dependent solely upon the interstate com
mission for relief
1t is confidently believed among the
northern miIlers, according to Mr. Oliver,
that they will win the case. They think
the commission viii not allow such an eX-
traordinary relation exist between wheat
and -four rate into Texas when it is not
found in any other state or into any other
state. The milling industry of the state
very important, there being over four
hundred mills and with a capacity
of fifty-tive million bushels annually,
or calling for more wheat than raised in
the state on an average. This being the
case the mills in the state could stand the
discrimination against wheat much better
than against -four, but not feeling disposed
to ask for anything more than an abso-
lutely fair show. They simply want wheat
and flour placed on the same rate.
1t is not known when the commission
Will reach a conclusion but it is thought it
Will be given out some time before the end
of this month.