The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-12-15
fEEiGHr RATES


n. d. Lee Urges the Commercial ciab 20
fshs Active Measures 10 secure
Proper Ayustmsnt OF the
Discrimination Against
saliaa.
At the Commercial Club meeting
Tuesday night Mr.. II. ID. Lee sub.
mitted some pertinent remarks upon
the freight rate question and urged
the club to become active In trying
TO formulate plans to promote legis.
lation that would emancipate Kan
sas from her present unfortunate
condition-namely, the discriminA-
ton upon almost every product
shipped In or out OF the state. "for
Instance" said Mr.. Lee, at costs ~
much To get . car OF grain TO Kansas
City, . distance OF ls5 miles, ~ II
does to haul car Of grain
from Kansas City to Chicago, = dis
lance OF over $50 miles. IL costs
more to get ear Of grain sacks from
Kansas City to Salina than u does
City, nearly three times the distance.
IL will cost more TO ship q car load
Of cattle from SAlina to Kansas City
than from Kansas City to Chicago.
II costs 30 cents per hundred pounds
to ship ear load Of sugar from New
York To Kansas City, 1900 miles.
and u costs Just 20 cents per hundred
pounds to ships car OF sugar from
Kansas City To Salins, q distance OF
only 1856 miles. Ii costs 10 cents per
hundred TO ship car Of sugar from
san Francisco, Cal, to the Missouri
River, two thousand miles, on tines
running directly through Satina, but
IL costs " cents to have IL stopped
of At Salina, thereby charging %
cents per hundred more than
they would to haul it on to Kansas
City. Can q person wonder that
there has been u political upheAvAl
ia Kansas as o result Of such condi.
lions as these? The facts are the
people Of Kansas are determined to
have this matter adjusted and have
confidence that there IL au element
In the peoples party, together with
the republican party, who have the
ability and Integrity, IL aided 10y the
conservative business elements OF
the state, to bring such legislation
~ will relieve the people OF Kansas
from the unparalleled bondage Of
railways, and that the discrimina.
lions have been tolerated 80 long
simply because the great mass OF the
people are not aware To what an ap.
paliing extent they exist. 1.-THE con-
ditions under which these high rates
were put In years ago have entirely
changed. AT that time the country
was entirely uDdeveiOped aud con
tanned but few inhabitants. The
volume OF business and tonnage was
80 small that the railroads would
naturally be compelled To charge u
higher rate but since that period
which made 10 necessary for high
rate', the state has developed In
population and volume OF business,
and today turns over To railroad y
n greater tonnage OF agricultural pro
duce than any other state. This Tact
10 also evidenced by the Inability OF
the railroad companies to fur rish
empty cars To move the produce OF
the state during certain seasons OF
every year. at seems to me" says
Mr.. Lee that the railroad compan-
les OF the state are flying In the face
Of fate In longer refusing to reduce
freight rates TO basis upon which
the state can establish aud maintain
her own distributing points. Now
IL IL time for every citizen interested
In the future success and prosperity
to help make an organized effort for
the emancipation Of the state from
commercial bondage.
The railroads recognize the Justice
of our demands Ia their compounds
several months ago To reduce the