The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-02-24
POWERFUL PROTESTS
From the Merchants of st. Louis
Against the Removal of
the General Offices.
Many Reasons Why the People
of st. Louis and Missouri
Should Object to the
Transfer.

The following powerful protests
against the removal of the general
offices from Sedalia to Parsons, ap-
pearej in this mornings st. Louis
Republic:
The contemplated transfer Of the
headquarters of the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas Railroad Company from
SedaIis, Mo-, to Parsons, Kas., or
some other point outside of the state,
has aroused storm of indignation in
the commercial circles of st. Louis
and the state. What has actuated
this movement on the part of those
controlling the railroad is not known,
but the officials claim that they want
the headquarters to be more conve-
nient to the machine shops.
Un more than one occasion the &C
ton of the NJ, q K. T. K. Z. has led
St. Louis merchants to believe that
policy injurious to the commercial in
terests of this city was being purpose.
ly pursued, and that trade was being
diverted to Chicago whenever practi-
cal.
So long has the railroad company
pursued its peculiar policy that it long
since lost many of its staunch friends
in St. Louis and throughout the state.
Its last move is looked upon by those
familiar with the situation as direct
blow at St. Louis. No attempt to
disguise the feeling of wrath is made
by the prominent merchants of this
city, who assert, "that if the head
quarters are taken away from Sedalia,
ST. Louis merchants will not ship a
pound of freigh. over the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas, if other lines can
be used F"
There are many reasons why the
people of st. Louis and Missouri
should look upon the transfer of the
headquarters from this Stale as an out
rage, which should not be allowed to
come to pass without an emphatic pro-
test. The read was constructed main
ly with Missouri money. Nearly
$4,000, 900 have been given 10 it by
the citizens in some of the counties of
the state. The citizens of Missouri
have done everything in their p3wer
to build it up. and favored it with
freight. Two thirds of the bqsinnssss:
comes from Missouri.
In exact figures the NJ. K. & T.,
ROAD has received from the citizens of
Missouri 81, 10000. Of this s1,770,-
900 Was subscribed in bonds by the
six counties through which the road
passes, and s25, 900 cash was gwen BY
the citizens of Sedalia for the location
of the headquarters in that city.
Sedalia is the natural location of
the offices of the company. 1t is the
junction with the Missouri Pacific and
lies on the main line. If the ingrati
tude of railroads wss not proverbial,
the strongest claim would rest ON the
manner in which the headquarters
came to be established in that city.
The citizens of Sedalia are making
every effort in their power to prevent
the consumation of the transfer. The
merchants of St. Louis will assist them
in every manner. 1t may be possible
that the matter may be brought before
The Merchants Exchange. The fol-
lowing protest, which was received
yesterday by the Republic from the
leading wholesale firms in the city, in
dicates the views held by the mer-
chants of St. Louis on the matter:
t, the Editor OF The Republic
S., Louis, Feb, 20.-We, the un-
dersgned, merchants of st Louis,
having noticed that the arrangement
of the Missouri, Kansas Il Texas Rail-
road Company have under considera
ton the removal of general Offices of
the company from Sedaiia, Mo, to
Parsons, Kas., do hereby, as merchants
of St. Louis and citizens of Missouri.
most earnestly, and, as we think, just
ly, protest against this projected re-
as an injustice and wrong to
the State OF Missouri. Among the
reasons which Bought to influence the
of the general Offices in Se-
ddlia, Mo-, are these:
First-Tne original company the
Tebo and Neosho-was incorporated
in the Ssate of Missouri, its name
having been changed to the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas.
Second-The counties through
which the road runs contributed in
bonds most of literally to its construct
ion, as follows: Vernon. $500, 900;
Henry, 100000 Pettis $3.50, 900
Cooper, $4,000; Howard, $780,
600 Randolph, $3.50, 900 making
total of 81 T70 000