The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-10

Wichita scored another victory yester
day on freight rates.
The supreme court refused rehearins
In the Symm's grocery case which means
that the railroads entering this city mus,
put In the rates ordered and made by The
state board OF railroad commissioners q
couple OF years ago.
These rates are on sugar. coffee, bean.
and canned goods and are much Lowell
| than the prevailing Extraordinarily low
to enable Wichita to drive out all the Mis-
souri, river jobbing trade from the south
west territory, on these articles. This is
conceded by the Missouri river jobbers
and the only thing left for them to do is
to move here with either their main or
branch houses, if they desire to hold their
trade.
In any event Wichita will command the
Jobbing trade OF the southwest whether
1t il done by home institutions or foreign
institutions located .here.
About two years ago complaint was
lodged with the state board OF railroad
| commissioners by the Wichita jobbers al
| leging gross Determinations against this
city and in favor of Kansas City and OF her
Missouri river jobbinR centers. The COM
missioners took hold of the matter
and after good. deal of labor
the charges they found the complaint well
founded and ordered the railroads to put
In more just and equitable rate. As the
catspaw OF Kansas City and st. Joseph the
Symms Grocery company Of Atchisonjap-
pealed to the district court OF their county
for an Injunction restraining the railway
companies from putting in the rate. This
injunction was argued for eleven days
this city being represented By Edwin
White Moore.
The court granted the injunction and
the Wichita complainants appealed to the
supreme court. In due time the supreme
court passed on the appeal and reversed
the decision of the Atchison judge. This
was a second victory for Wichita and the
Missouri river j0bbers were correspond
ingly blue. The Symms company, like
the traditional drowning man catch
ing at a straw, made application to
the supreme court for rehearing of the
case, and yesterday this application was
denied.
This leaves the Missouri jobbers at the
end OF their string, and now they must
throw up their hands and come to Wichita
II they want TO be In it. They cannot ap-
peal to any other court.
The Santa Fe being in the hands OF re-
ceivers appointed by the United
states courts are not within the
binding jurisdiction of the rates,
but this makes no difference They
can, to be sure, continne to keep the old
rates in effect in spite of the new rates.
but in that event they would lose the
TRADE by not meeting the competition OF
the lower rates which the other roads will
be compelled to put in under order Of the
commissioners.
1t is possible that the railroads may re-
fuse to obey the order of the
commissioners, and continue to charge
the old rates. In this event
their patrons would have only to pay the
old rate under protest, and then sue the
railway companies for the excess and col
lect treble the amount, which they are
allowed to do.
The decision was received with great
favor by business men last night after
hearing OF it through representative of
the EAGLE Mayor Cox and the council
received 1t with JOY and the general opin-
Ion was that Wichita had received justice
at last.