The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-29
TIME TO ACT.
Commercial Club of Wichita
Issues a Circular,
Advocating an Alliance OF Kan
sas Commercial Clubs
TO BRING TO BEAR
Pressure for a Change in the
Grain Rates
At Present so Unjust to Kansas
Shippers.
TO BRING TO BEAR

WICHITA, Feb 29.-The Commercial
club of this city has prepared a circular
letter addressed to all shippers and COM
mercial bodies in Kansas, which contains
the following:
The time has come when our people
need no longer point to the east and ex
claim: There is the sea-" We are In
communication with the deep water port
at Galveston, a thousand miles nearer
Nothing but mbecility and d Willingness
10 submit to unwarranted extortlon Will
excuse q determined effort for CONNER
cial emancipation, when the opportunity
is present and within our reach.
Commercially speaking Galveston is as
near the ports of foreign nations as are
New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
Baltimore The distance from Calves
ton to central Kansas is about $50 miles,
while the distance from New York to
central Kansas is about LOO miles.
1t is with no sectional or unfriendly
spirit that we assert that there is not that
community of interest between the ex-
IRENE east and the west that makes
commercial alliance between the two
sections longer profita BILE or desirable to
our people. If we are moved by no other
considerations the time has come when
we must, for self protection against the
encroachments of combined corporate
W
country which has mutual wrongs to re-
dress and mutual benefits to exchange
The Wichita Commercial club earnest
ly requests the people not only of Wich-
ita, but of the whole state, tie unite in
some action looking TO the establishment
of early and closer commercial relations
with the city of Galveston.
We suggest as appropriate and bene-
fetal in this direction that the business
men of this state be requested to call
public meetings in their respective To-
calities to petition their representatives
in congress, the governor; the interstate
commerce commission AND the state
board of railroad commissioners, to use
their influence and efforts to relieve the
people of this state from the present IN
just and discriminating freight rates low
being charged to Gulf ports by the south
western railway com bination.
Railroad rates should be adjusted to the
common law principle of com pensation
according to service, so much per ton per
mile. On mileage basis in the same
proportion according to distance with the
rate now in effect to the Atlantic sea-
board points the rate from central Kan
sas points to Galveston on corn would
not exceed ten or eleven cents per busheI,
while the present rate, now being charg
ed is Is cents per bushel, making a diff
ference oil 4 cents per Dusnel, greater
part of which the railroad pool absorbs,
which rightfully belongs to the produc-
er
Out of the two hundred millions of
bushels of corn produced in the state of
Kansas last year probably one half will
go for export, which calculated on diff
ference of cents per bushel, would
amount to several million of dollars to
the state of Kansas on last years crop
alone, to say nothing of the wheat and
cat crops.