People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-01-26

The Implement Dealers held a
meeting ct Kansas City last week and
subjects of interest to the associa-
tion were discussed. H. c. Taylor. of
Lyons, read paper on the relation
of dealers and the railroads. He re.
ferred at length to the famous Wich-
ita case, in which by a combined and
energetic effort the merchants sue
ceeded in getting a ruling from the
Kansas board of railway commits
siOners reducing the rate from Kan
Sas City to Wichita from thirty-two
and half cents hundred to twenty.
three and half cents per hundred.
Mr.. Taylor said among other things:
III was developed in that case that
the rate from Kansas City to Wichita
vas 100 per cent higher per ton per
mile than the rate from Chicago to
Kansas City; about 200 per cent high
er per ton per mile than the rate
from Chicago to Fl. Scott and Girard:
and more than 200 per cent higher
per ton per mile than the rate from
Chicago to Columbus, Baxter Springs
and Joplin. The rate from Fl. Scott
to Wichita was more than $50 per
cent higher per ton per mile than the
rate from st. Louis to TT. Scott;
more than $50 per cent higher per ton
per mile than the rate from Chicago
to TT. Scott, and about 300 per cent
higher per ton per mile than the rate
from Chicago to Columbus, Baxter
Springs and Joplin. 1t was shown
that the railroads carried implements
from Chicago to Fl. Scott, Girard.
Columbus and Baxter Springs, an av-
erage distance Of about 600 miles.
thirty-One and half cents per hun
dred-One cent hundred less than
they carried them from Kansas City
to Wichita, distance of 2ll miles,
and twenty-eight cents a hundred
less than they carried them from
Chicago to Wichita, substantially
the same distance, showing as the
Wichita brief put it, that the Sedg-
wick county citizens paid about 500
freight on farm machinery to every
Sl.OO paid by the Cherokee citizen "
The railroad experts explained that
this was no injustice to the Sedgwick
county citizen, but was the good for
tune of the Fit. Scott, Girard, COlum.
bus and Baxter Springs citizens that
they lived on line of railroad run.
ming from Kansas City to Joplin, Mo-,
where the Missouri statute rate was
in effect, which was and is much
lower than the Kansas rate, and that
the interstate commerce act com.
PEELED them to give the same rate to
| the Kansas cities situated between
Joplin and Kansas City as they made
at Joplin. Again Mr.. Taylor said:
Your attention is called to this
fact, which was not brought out il
the testimony or argument in this
case. That in the Kansas City, TT
Scott Il Memphis railroad, that runs
through Kansas and Missouri, is com.
PEELED to accept lower rates in force
in Missouri and Notwithstanding this
fact, it is one of the most prosperous
roads running out Of Kansas City,
paying its operatives monthly when
due as high wages as any of the other
companies, paying the taxes without
making the pauper oath and no talk
of the system going into the hands of
receivers and being diSintegrated
If they can make money and be pros
porous under these lower rates, it il
self evident that the trouble these
other roads are in comes from the
mistakes and mismanagementof theil
managers, either present or past, OF
perhaps both. The railroads should
be subject to the same rules and crit
iciSmS as are individuals and firms
who are in business and entitled t
no greater sympathy.
Mr.. Taylor gave some results Of thu
Wichita reduction as follows:
In Wichita the rate was cut 9 cent.
a hundred, amounting on an average
car of $1,000 pounds to $3.50; to New
ton, KanS., the rate was reduced tC
81 cents hundred 90 Sl6.25: to Pea
body the rate was reduced 81 cents {
hundred or 1915; to Florence q cent.
or S.25: to Marion q cents or 1925
to Ell Dorado 81 cents or $l6.25: t.
Eureka II cents or .2j; to Winfield
and Wellington 81 cents or 1926; t
Arkansas City 81 cents or 1915 and tt
the intermediate smaller stations be
tween these points in about the same
proportion. 1t is possible now to shil
carload of CultivatorS or plows t.
Wichita and reship them to Hutch
insOn at a saving of /! cents a hun
dred, but there is a much greater
saving in the less than car load rat,
by reshipment from Wichita, and NJ
doubt ajObbing business will be bull
up at Wichita as a result of this re
ductiOn in the rate on carloads, es
pecially If corresponding reduction
is not secured in less than carloa,
rate"