The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-07-18
GRAIN RATES.


ReIeCting = Petition OF the Farmers ALI
Snce-Ths Reasons OF the Board Tor 30 |
Doing Set Forth. |
TOPEKA, Kan. July 1.-THE State |
Board of Railroad Commissioners has |
issued its decision in one of the most |
important cases that has ever come be- |
fore it On April IL a number of petit |
titions. very numerously signed by |
memb ers of the Farmers Alliance and |
farmers of Kansas. was fled in the Of |
fee OF the board, asking for reduction |
of local rates from Kansas points to the
Missouri river on corn, wheat oats.
hogs. cattle and other-farm products
The specific reduction asked for was
q rate Of from to 10 cents from Hutch
inson to the Missouri river and CORE
| spending rates for all other distances
The Railroad Commissioners contend
that If the rate from Hutchinson to
Kansas City was reduced to 10 cents il
would make the Chicago rate from
Hutchinson on corn so cents and to St
Louis IS cents instead of 231S to 1871,
the present figures. - -
Discussing the proposition of the at
torneys who represented the farmers,
that the rate east to the river should be
lowered correspondingly, the board
says: SIN each case the reduction asked
for, II the railroads were to take us at
our word and make them effective in
the only manner in which they could be
made so, would advance the cost of
transportation of corn 615< cents per hun
dred. But it would be unfair to create
the impression that the gentleman who
advocated this proposition intended to
bring about this result; and when this
was pointed out at the hearing as very
probable result the Kansas City grain
brokers gave US their assurance that If
we would adopt the proposed local, they
would take care of the rates east of the
river. and Major Jones stated that they
proposed to go before the Interstate
Commerce Commission for reduc-
ton of the rates east of the
river. What they proposed to do.
and the extent of their ability to do in
this respect. was left in state of uncer-
tainty. We should hardly feel justified
in putting the Kansas farmer in the po-
sition above indicated, trusting to the
vague assurances of others to do some
thing else to relieve him from that
dilemma. But the plain implication
conveyed by these assurances is that
these gentlemen would endeavor to OBJ
tain such reductions in the rates east of
the river as would prevent the sum of
the local rates exc eeding the present
through rate"
Under the present arrangement of
rates." continues the board, farmers
apon the Missouri river pay 20 cents per
J 100 pounds to get their corn to Chicago
and the Kansas farmer living 200 miles
} west of the Missouri river pays 2311
J cents; to st. Lou the former pays Is
cents and the latter 1879. Or in other
) words the Kansas farmer living 200
/ miles and upward west of the Missouri
, river is only 81 cents further from mar
, ket than the farmer living upon the
, Missouri river. This is now the extent
of the disad vantage the farmer living
D 200 miles west of the Missouri river suf-
3 fers compared with those living on and
t near to that stream.
Under the arrangement proposed,
3 assuming that MAJOR Jones and the
t other gentlemen should succeed in
5 bringing about the reduction in rates
3 east of the river this would be the stu
i at on: The farmer on the Missouri
3 river would pay to get his corn to Chi
n cago 1879 cents per 100 The Kansas
farmer in the region of Hutchinson
r would pay 231<c. To get his corn to st
Q Louis the Missouri river farmer would
t have to pay SO cents, and the Kansa:
t farmer 200 miles west would have to pay
Q 1917 cents. The total cost of transports
t ton would not be changed. but the rela
9 tive situation of the Kansas farme
: compared with those who live nearer
the market would be very materially
9 changed. The difference in cost o
y transportation of corn for Eastern mar
O kets, charged to the Reno County farm
8 ers, and the farmers upon the Missouri
l. river, is now So cents Under the pro
posed arrangement the difference would
f DO 10 cents. This would push the Kan
9 sas, farmer 64 cents per 100 pound
9 further from market. compared with hi
s more Eastern competitor. How thi
II would help the Kansas farmer was no
It explained. The Kansas city grain
brokers had no difficulty in showing u
II how it would help them"
n After quoting the cross-examinatiol
II of Mr.. Davidson, a Kansas City grail
n man, in which he said that prices wer
h based on Chicago prices and through
W rate, the board says: ''From the forego
ing it will be perceived that the Kansas
y City grain man don't buy of the Kansa
D. producer, but of the Kansas grain deal
It ers; that they buy with reference to tn
"a current market as fixed from day to da,
If in Chicago and other grain centers, an
l. that the Kansas elevator man buys o.
n the same basis from the farmer, so tina
It all the vague talk about the Kansa
3, farmer being benefited by the railroa
n being required to dump all the Kansa
)f grain upon the banks of the Missouri
" river before being taken forward 4
;e market vanishes into thin air when tn
ID witnesses are required to be definite.
g.
w Crops Burning Up.
M TOPEKA, Kan, July 1o.-Fourtee
It families of colored people have just r.
% turned from Oklahoma to Topeka. The