The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-13

Their Years Earnings-Arrogant Cor
porations Must be Curbed in Their Out
rageous observation-disclosures City is a
Partner in the Hoid-Up-CommerciaI
Club Looked Upon to Take Some Action
to stop the PlunderIng.
In day or two the Commercial club
Of this city will be asked 10 open war
on the railroads of Kansas to prevent
them from stealing the corn crop of
the state
They will not only be asked TO ag-
gressively defend the local grain grow
ing territory but Will be solicited to in
ftiate a movement that viii extend
throughout every portion of the state
where the grand larceny of over 10O,
600, 900 bushels of corn is attempted.
Wichita being the recognized COM
mercial center Of the state and the
Commercial clUn the recognized respon-
sible Representative of the business in
terests Of Wichita it has been deemed
proper 10 give ii the post Of honor in
the Contemplated fight.
In day or two an exhaustive array
of facts viii be prepared for the COM
merci2l club showing how the people
Of Kansas have been robbed of the pro-
ducts Of their farms and labor 10y the
railroads.
These facts will be so plain that any
body can see them and the direction in
which they lead.
After the club familiarizes itself with
the details they viii issue invita- tons
to cities and commercial bodies all
through central and western Kansas
10 join them in a declaration of COM
mercial rights which they Will try to
make the railroads respect.
The first thing On the program will
PROBABLY be an urgent invita- ton to the
interstate commerce commission to
send a special agent to Kansas to in
Vestlgate the great outrages of the rail-
roads in their transportation charges
on grain TO the markets and especially
TO the export markets
During the past few weeks the Eagle
has called attention from time to time
TO the matter Of rates and has given
the matter such prominence before the
public Of the south and west that the
railroads have already commenced ex-
plantations which neither do nor can
explain.
Take for instance the reply of Mr.
PCrdy OF the VI. K. & T. road which
says:
This company has made no changes
In its rates on grain from Kansas City
or Kansas points to New Orleans, and
the tariffs are now the same as we have
published for ears. in no case are the
rates from points on this line to New
Orleans and Galveston higher than
from points beyond.
The rates from Kansas points to
New Orleans base on Kansas City, and
In the past Kansas grain destined for
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 The rates to Galveston
proper are not in all cases the same
as TO New Orleans, but as the ocean
rates to foreign ports from Galveston
are approximately the same as from
New Orleans, it is necessary, in order
to make equal through rates via Gel
weston, to apply the same rates as to
the port of New Orleans. This fact
does not affect the through rates, but
gives the shippers of grain from Kan
sas the advantage offered by the port
of Galveston in addition to those al
ready enjoyed 10y them via New Or
leans and the Atlantic ports. There
have been no changes in the establish
ed rates Of this company TO New Or
leans, and they are the same as have
been in effect for several years past.
and the rates carried by us on export
grain via. Galveston do not in any
way affect the through rates to ex-
port points"
Replying to Mr.. PUrdy a prominent
grain dealer said yesterday: Il do not
SQUIRT, Kansas and Texas that this road
IS charging any more along his line 10
Coffeyville than - cents per 100 pounds
than out Of Kansas City, but how does
he explain how he hauls corn out Of
Kansas City at p cents per 100 pounds
fiat per busheI 10 New Orleans when
the price Of corn at Kansas City is %
cents and the prIce Of corn at New
Orleans Is only 80 cents. Now, then,
adding a freight of p cents per 100 10
the price of grain at Kansas City, D
cents per bushel, we find that the result
a destination point. New Orleans,
would be IS cents. If Mr. Purdy or
anybody else can tell me why he takes
3S-cent corn to a 32-cent market I will
yield TO him. Everybody knows that
there is rottenness in this.
Il want Mr. Frye of the Santa Fe TO
tAF3414n Inc justice OF the ldElI rate
from Kansas City TO Galveston of q
cents and why the rate grows larger
as the haul grows shorter. As stated
the freight per 100 pounds on grain
from Kansas City to Galveston is 81
cents. From Emp0ria, over 100 miles
nearer destination, the rate is 50 cents,
from Wichita, 225 miles nearer IT, is %
cents and from Winfield, and Arkansas
CITY. stin nearer, it is SO cents"
L IS not generally understood, but il
is a fact nevertheless, that a car load
of corn shipped from here 10 Kansas
City and from there back over the same
lire, through Wichita, and on to Gal
weston cents per iO0 pounds less than
II could be shipped from here for. TO
the same destination. As the freight
from here 10 Kansas City is 49, cents
and from Kansas City 10 Galveston il IS
% cents Il can be seen then that the
freight from Kansas City TO Galveston
IS really only 1872 cents, while from
Wichita 10 Galveston. a haul of 225
miles less. it is 81 cents, or more than
double As much. II : seemingly the
height Of absurdity but il is fact new
ertheless that Wichita grain buyer
in order n get his car load Of corn 10
Galveston for - cents per leo pounds
instead IF - cents. the rate direct, he
must send il 10 Kansas City where il is
Ie-ailet Then Il comes back through
Nlc1ita and on south TO Galveston.
Some grain men in this section have