The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-04
EASTERN GREED.
How Senator Aldrich of Rhode
Island
Acted the Rascal About Kansas
Grain Rates.
Senator Peffer's Timely ReSOlU-
tiOn to Inquire
INTO THE OUTRAGE
Recently Committed Against
the Interests of Kansas
Was Choked to Death by a
ScOundrelly Senator,
Who Represents the Allied
Eastern Railroads.
BEN TILLMAN'S TRADE
None Too Severe for Some of the
Senators
Who Are Merely Tools of East
ern Corporations.

From the State Journals Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-The efforts of
Senator PETER to have the injustice
worked on Kansas shippers inquired into,
have been blocked for the time at least.
The senator's resolution introduced in
the senate Tuesday requesting the inter
state commerce commission to inquire
whether an agreement or traffic arrange
ment had been made whereby charges
for carrying grain and other farm pro-
duce from points in Missouri, Kansas,
Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and In
dian Territory to Texas and Mexico
points had been advanced, has gone 10
the calendar and will have to await its
turn or be taken up by unanimous con-
sent.
Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island is
responsible for blocking this resolution
which sought to obtain information n of
interest to Kansas farmers and ship pers
and have evils if they were found to eX->
ist. corrected. Senator AIdrich sought
to have the resolution referred to a com
mittee, which meant that it would never
be heard of again, and when that action
seemed unlikely 10 be taken he consum-
ed the remainder of thesmoruing hour in
talking, so that the regular order crowded
the resolution to the calendar.
Unless therefore, Senator PETER can
get his resolution up by unanimous con-
sent sometime when Mr. Aldrich or any
other senator equally determined that
the injustice to Kansas farmers and grain
men shall continue is absent, the steps
toward redress will be delayed weeks
and perhaps months.
Senator PETER in explanation of his
resolution 10 the JOURNAL CORES spOndent
said that it was i'll response to a remon-
STRANGE by Kansas grain men and farmers
against traffic arrangement which is
said to have been made by the railroads
! whereby the prices of trans pOrtation on
! grain west of the Missouri, principally
corn, to the gulf ports had been
| raised SO as to make them equal to the
rates from Kansas City to New York.
at appears" said Senator PETER, ''that
the roads east of Kansas City have a
| traffic agreement as to grain rates be-
tween Kansas City and New York, and
| until lately there has been no agreement
| between these lines and those west of
| the Missouri. But the rate on grain from
| Kansas City to the Gulf of "a exico has
| been less than from Kansas City to New
York by about cents. The result has
been that most of Kansas corn shipped
| to European countries, and that is where
the largest part of our surplus goes. has
| gone by way of trans NJ isSouri railroads
| 10 Gulf ports. 1t res ulted in a great
saving to shippers and in better prices
| for the farmers.
| LUIS Ol prlFeQ lu6 EOdQS
carrying to New York of great deal
| of Business, and it seems they
got together and demanded that thu
western roads raise their prices to Gulf
| points to a rate equal to the one 20 New
| York. If the western roads refused,
these roads threatened to refuse to carry
any of their freight east"
The result of this raise in transporta-
tion rates has been "a great loss to Kan
| sas and other western states, but resO-
| luton to have this wrong righted has
| been sidetracked, because there are SEN
ators from the east who don't care how
much the west has to suffer, and who are
perhaps interested in eastern railroads
obtaining more business.
Senator PETER, in the course of his con-
versation, showed that on account of
| present traffic arrangements it was cheap D.
er to send freight from San Francisco,
for instance, to a Kansas point, clear to
Kansas City and then west, than to get
| it direct from San Francisco M FN