The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-11
THAT CORN RATE.

When railway men can be induced tC
| discuss the situation there is always
| hope Reasonable views and facts are
brought out by discussion. Judge NJ
A. Low. Of the Rock Island, has been
impelled TO reply to the criticisms and
complaints urged against the late in
/ iquity whereby Southern Kansas pro
ducts are forced through Kansas City,
| solely in the interest and for the behoOf
/ of that town and Of eastern roads.
Judge Lows reply appeared in our
columns Sunday morning. The To
/ peka Capital rejOins in part. as follows:
! It is said that the rate on corn from
! Wichita 10 New York is 49 cents per
! 100 pounds. From Wichita TO Calves
| on the rate is az present y cents; Dut
by familiar hOcus pocus OF railroad
ing the corn can be shipped 10 Kansas
| City and thence 10 Galveston or New
Orleans for q cents The distance
from Wichita TO New ork IS l3S0
miles and to Galveston 705 miles. On
the basis Of 49 cents TO New York the
rate from Wichita TO Galveston should
not greatly exceed this ratio.
Whatever reduction Gulf points may
bring to Kansas is clear gain. Iowa,
ILLINOIS,, Inu-GLdy ONO anu OtHCi - ain
states can receive great benefit from
the opening of Gulf ports and a re-
duced north and south rate VIII not
propoTtionately depress grain prices.
Under the recent low rate Kansas corn
has been from one cent 10 two cents
higher than Iowa corn. This adVan-
tage the state Is entitled to by its near
ness 10 the seaboard and 1t Will insist
on holding it, The only perma-
nent basis the people viii consent to
l. ha ha gf q
nearest seaport, which is Galveston.
The Eagle having gone over this
whole ground very thoroughly, would
only ask Judge Low TO explain why
the tariff from indianapolis is only Il
cents per 100 pounds TO New York (S11
niles on wheat, and IS cents on corn.
Indianapolis has no waterway, and
numbers Of lines, under the traffic com
bine rule cuts no figure in fixing rates.
The tariff sheet rate from Wichita to
New York is 40 cents, as against -
cents to Galveston, for small dealers.
The rate from Wichita to Chicago on
corn is - cents. The price of corn in
Chicago today is 273s cents. The price
in New York is BIS cents, or 9$4 cents
per bushel freight instead of13.44
Judge Low also places his tariff sheet
via Chicago LOO miles to New York,
whereas the through rate based on the
shortest route to New York is LOO
miles, with rate Of "a cents. On this
basis of distance the rate TO Galveston
should not exceed 20 cents per 100
pounds, instead Of 81 cents, as it is at
present.
Since the Goth Of January. when the
advance of freight took place, there
has been no corn shipped to Galveston
direct from Wichita. Instead it has
gone TO Kansas City, which is 227
miles farther. at . cents per 100 pounds
less rate, or $14 per car. Before this
rate took effect in January, about 1000
cars of corn were shipped direct TO
Galveston Ii cents per bushel to the
farmer.
Now, as everybody can see, if in a
business way the haul to Kansas City
We're applied to the route to Galveston,
the rate should not exceed 20 cents per
hundred. In other words. the train
load of corn which leaves Wichita for
Galveston, via Kansas City, if sent
directly south would be at the north
line of Texas instead Of being on the
Missouri river. 227 miles farther away
from its destination than when it
started.