The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-15
TO DEMAND RATES
STATE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REPLY TO TEXAS BOARD.

They Agree With Them Entirely and Say
That Kansas Must Have Fair show
They Can't See Why Kansas Must Carry
Its Corn Up to Missouri and Bring II
Back to save Money in shipment and
VIII Look Into the Matter-Central
| Kansas Farmers Institute Hit the Nail
| on the Head.
The state board of railroad commits
sioners has at last replied to the Texas
| commissions invitation TO join them
! in securing better rates to the Gull.
They speak very favcrably and if they
viii act as they speak there is 10 douD;
/ but what something viii be accom-
! plished. The following is the main
( points in the reply:
Your letter of Feb. 2, rendering 10
| this board the cooperation Of the men,
/ bers of your commission in an endeavor
10 secure such an adjustment Of freight
rates upon grain and its products from
| Kansas points to Gulf ports as shall
place those rates in effect upon such
shipments from the same Kansas points
| TO the eastern seaboard, is received and
your offer to assist is appreciated and
should occasion require it viii be cor
daily accepted.
'-The correspondence commenced by
! this board with the carriers from whom
the relief desired must come has not
yet produced definite results, but the
board believes that the policy at present
- 1f na L n
sas roads, and it hoped that very soon
a remedy viii be provided for the griev-
ance under which a. majority of the peo-
pie of Kansas and perhaps of other Sec
tons of the west are now suffering.
Should the carriers, however. not re-
spond voluntarily to the just demands
of the public at a very early date, it
will then become imperative before the
proper tribunal for an adjudication in
the premises.
TT is well perhaps 10 state the situa-
ton as the board understands it, and
we can hardly Go ii better than by US
ing language Of the manager of one or
the lines operating TO southern points,
which was taken from his letter ans
wering ours of the 4th instant.
THE rates from Kansas points to
New Orleans base on Kansas City and
in the past Kansas grain destined TO
New orleans has moved through Kan
sas City or the lower Mississippi river
crossings. The opening of new lines
to Texas has in connection with the
Texas-New Orleans lines formed new
routes to New Orleans, as in the case of
the Rock Island road, which in connec-
tion with the Texas and Pacific from
Fort Worth. forms a line from Kansas
points to New Orleans. If the Rock
Island should engage in the transported
ton Of traffic from Kansas City to New
Orleans It would of course be COM
PEELED to do so at the short line rate AMI
the fact that it may do so without re-
ducing its intermediate point rates does
not involve any unjust discrimination
within the meaning Of the interstate
commerce law. If the Rock Island.
Atchison or others roads should carry
such traffic via Kansas City as formerly
the rates would in no case be higher
from intermediate points beyond, and
the mere fact that they should elect TO
route such traffic via Fort Worth and
the Texas and Pacific road or other
connections does not change the con-
ditions, or in any way constitute unjust
discrimination between persons OF
places.
I'm either words, by some fiction en-
dOrsed by an association of all railroads
operating in this territory, Kansas City
is made a hasing point for rates TO Gulf
IS well as eastern ports and all traffic
to those ports from this territory is
arbitrarily caused to pass through Kan
sas City if not actually, then theoretic-
ally by the application Of the basing
point rates with locals TO the basing
point added.
Like conditions exist as to rates to
Galveston. The shout line distance
from Kansas City to Galveston is 756
miles; the rates on corn per 100 pounds
is q cents.
THE short line distance from Wichi-
ia. Kan, TO Galveston is 7O4 miles; the
rate on corn per 100 pounds is 80 cents.
Thus, under the operation of the
policy now sustained by the associa-
zion of Kansas roads a shipment of
corn from Wichita to Galveston, is de-
MED a relatively equal rate and is
charged in addition to the Kansas City
Galveston rate, a rate Of . cents per 100
pounds from Wichita to Kansas City,
no matter whether the haul is by the d.
rect short distance south of 264 miles
farther via Kansas City.
The people of Kansas and other
western states will, as a matter Of right
Concede TO Kansas City, -. Louis and
other cities east the traffic naturally
their due, but they cannot and will NOT
submit to traffic burdens arbitrarily
imposed for the benefit of those points
Rates relatively equal by the most d.
rect routes to all points the public is en-
titled TO have the agitation and legisla-
ton Will continue until justice is OBJ
tanned.
AT a later date this board will COM
municate with you further about the