The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-12

Egypt were ever sighed for. This legis-
lature cannot afford not to reduce them.
How members could go before the peo-
pie last fall and pledge themselves to
-econc my and then come here and actu-
ally endeavor to raise salaries is more
than l can understand"
More special amendments were intro
duced and the house got confused.
Speaker Lobdell moved the amendment
of the fees and salaries committee be
substituted for the first section.
Mr.. Benefiel said he hoped it would
prevail. 1t was a thousand chances to
one that the bill would never pass, and
the house was only consuming valuable
time n making amendments.
Mr.. Benedict said: at has come to
this or nothing The only hope of get
ting any bill of this kind through is to
railroad this through as it came from the
committee"
Mr.. Cannon, of Kingman, opposed the
substitute furiously. He was opposed to
the original section also, because it re-
duced the salary in his county
Mr.. Rohrbaugh, of Sedgwick, was an
other of the opposition. The Leaven-
worth members were also opposed to the
bill until appeased by the substitute Of
fered by Mr.. Lobdell.
The substitute was adopted, however,
and the committee rose before amend
ments began to be offered The bill will
come up again today. 1t will probably
take several days to get it out of the way.
HAVE SEIZED OUR MARKER.
Showing How the stockyards Combine
Robs Us.
Senator Shearer, of Marshall county, is
the author of the now celebrated stock
yards bill which is likely to create a
great deal of tumult among the "Kaw
Mouth Robbers"
There has been so much said recently
regarding the stockyards, and this bill in
particular, that Senator 6hearer. in order
to set himself right, writes to the JOUR-
NAL as follows:
Editor of the STATE JOURNAL:
Some three hundred men without be-
ing Incorporated or having other sane
ton of law, have created in the yards at
Kansas City and succeeded in preventing
those who would sell for lower rates
from doing business at all know their
cry is, you can sell your own stock if
you want to-" but we don't ''want it" We
{ want men of experience at reasonable
rates. We did as stock men, put a COM
mission firm there-they gave satisfac-
tion-they made money-they paid their
help princely salaries, as follows: Gen
eral manager, $500 per month; three
statesmen, 1888 80 per month each; solic-
itor, $500 per month; secretary, $3.50 per
month; three yardmen, each $75 per
month; book-keeper, 800 per month;
assistant book keeper, $50 per month;
stenographer, $50 per month; for Office
rent, $50 per month, as well as paying
other general running expenses. After
meeting all these expenses they
were able to declare q
dividend of so per cent on capital stock
and so per cent on commissions, which
was very important item.
| The writer remembers distinctly re-
ceiving dividend at the end of the year
of about one-half the amount paid for
commissions during the year. True,
those not members of the company got
no dividend, but they were few. Now to
the point, this company was harrassed
by legal proceedings until it had to quit
business, and the stockmen were again al
the mercy of the compine. In proof OF
this l quote from rule sixteen, adopted
by the commission men: mo member OF
| the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange
shall transact any business with any per
son violating any OF the rules or regula-
tions OF this exchanges" and they pro-
nounce 1t violation to make dividend
to customers on commissions.
Again, rule 8. section l, says: "Mem-
bers of the exchange are only admitted
by ballot, and upon the payment of an
initiation fee of $1,000"
Again, Same rule, section T. says:
avery member of this association mus
be a member of firm of at least five
members" so that firm of five or more
members going into business there mus
put up fee of at least $4,000. a bono
of $4,000 is required by the new law;
bond which would not cover one day.
transactions of decent. firm. OF course
the heavy fee of the association is tt
keep out new firms or men and make
more profitable for the old ones. The re
suit is we find gang of men have seizeC
the stock market of our state, and il
spite of the laws dictate terms to stock
men. Like all other monopolists, the,
have made it pay.
JAMES SHEARER.