The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-29
MORE MEssouR1 ROBBERY.
The Grain Inspection Laws Of Kansas
Nullifed by Ives.

examinations made and maintained
against every commercial interest and
every commercial center in Kansas.
These determinations have successfully
lead to excessive tolls and other species
of robbery. Kansas City, Missouri,
maintains great commercial organiza-
ton known as the Commercial Exchange
which employs freight expert, whose
sole business it is to figure out
and secure discriminating rates against
Kansas points. For securing. these
advantages for herself she has success
fully invoked the aid of Kansas business
men, of Kansas legislatures and of Kan
sas state officials until every bushel Of
grain, every head of live stock and every
other possible product of Kansas soil
were made subject to the manipulatiOns
and stealings of Kansas City. Missouri.
So fragrant had become the stealIngs of
the grain elevator ring at that point that
through the efforts of Wichita and Kan
sas City, Kansas, an inspection law pro-
viding for grain inspection within the
state was passed by the last legislature.
This action upon the part of the state
was saving the farmers and grain deal
! ers Of Kansas all sorts of shortages and
| dockages, tolls and charges. But that
Missouri town, true to its instincts, set
about counteracting the efforts put forth
by Kansas to serve the interests of her
own people. Unfortunately for Repub-
lican Kansas Democratic-calamity a
country-lawyer blatherskite, named Ives
had been elected attorney-gen This
supposed Kansas man is appealed to by
the Missouri crowd for an opinion Oh the
inspection law which opinion when rem
dered seems to give back to Missouri her
old time advantage over Kansas grain
men.
The Kansas City Journal first gave
publicity to Ives dupIicity by congratu-
lating the Missouri crowd over their vic
tory. The next morning that paper an
nounced that the Commercial Exchange
was jubilant and were having copies of
the opinion printed, while the Kansas
inspectors, on this side Of the line, were
completely nonplussed, but that they
would be routed entirely when the Com
mercial Exchange of Kansas City, Mo-,
should send their own men over in Kan
sas to fix the grade of Kansas grain
again.
The Kansas City, Kan, Gazette of
yesterday contains the following editorial
on the situation, which is of interest to
every Kansas grain raiser and dealer:
The astounding statement in Missouri
morning paper that the attorney general
of the state of Kansas had given to the
Missouri grain operators an opinion that
under the state grain law private or non
resident inspectors had the right to enter
railroad yards and cars and inspect grain
in the state of Kansas is of the greatest
interest to Kansas grain producers and
shippers. The grain law was passed for
the sole purpose Of protecting the produc-
ers and shippers. Before the Kansas City,
Kan, board of trade began operations I'M
der the state law the reputation of the
Kansas City, Mo, grain market was that |
of common robbery, shortages regular and
scandalously large. Since the law took
effect this has been changed on all wheat
shipped to Kansas City, Kan, but not en-
tirely so as to grain shipped to Kansas
City, Mo- The board of trade of Kansas
City, Kan, has directory composed of |
nine men, all under oath and not a
single one interested in the slightest in |
the grain business. Their inspectors and |
weighers are sworn officers of the state of |
Kansas, under bond, and not single one |
has the remotest Interest, directly or in /
directly, in the grain business. They |
represent under the law the grain producer |
and shipper On the other hand body of |
spectators, operators in grain, bucket |
shop men, without pound of grain, |
schemers who make money on the grain |
of others, claim the right to come over /
from the state Of Missouri. and set aside |
the law of Kansas, by grading and weigh
ing other peoples grain. They repudiate !
4
pudiate the Kansas law, and if they sue
coed there will be no law to which they |
will be bic, and hence no protection
for the producer and shipper. 1t is an
amazing proposition that the buyer shall |
have the power TO grade, weigh and make
the price on another mans grain. 1t gives
him both ends of the trade, placing the |
producer and the shipper at the mercy of /
the grain gambler.
There seems to be lack of information
among he people of Kansas as to the ad-
vantages of their own state inspection and /
weights, and their rights under the law.
Nearly 100. 600 cars of grain have been in
spected in Kansas City, Kan, under the
state law, and only four appeals made, of
which but two were sustained. Complaint
has never been made by interior shippers
of shortages in weight, but on the other
hand hundreds Of testimonials have been
received that weights were much more
than under the old order of
things when the bushes was controlled by
Missouri grain spectators. Let the Kan
sas producer or shipper demand Kansas
inspection and weights, and ship 10 Kan
sas City, Kan. BY trying this they will /
soon learn the difference. Uuder the state
Law they have redress. in case of error or
fraud, before a lawful tribunal. organized
under the laws OF their own state. COM
posed OF the best Kansas citizens. This
can not possibly be true of board of pri-
vate mauipulatsrs. who have only their
own interest at stake
NO HOT WINDS