The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-01
W. D. BROWN ON RAILROADS.
The Represen NATIVE From Pratt Talks
About Kansas Freight Rates.

Representative W L Brown of
Pratt. chairman of the house commit
/ tee on railroads, today made the fol
loving statement with reference to the
railroad question:
The railroads of this state are max
ing a terrific howl about any reduction
in freight rates or any regulation Of
their traffic and they are continually
pointing TO Iowa as an awful exam
pie of legal interference in railroad
anagemeut- On page 9 of the report
Of the Iowa commissioner of 1892 is the
following statement, Mr.. Brown quoted
in full as follows;
The commissioners rates have now
been in effect since 1889 and while they
: materially reduced published tariff
rates Of that date. yet experience shows
q steady increase in tonnage and rev
enueS On roads doing business in Iowa
under the operation of said rates"
From tabuIated statements found
below it will be observed that while
for the years 1887. 1883 and 1889 there
was a steady decrease in the revenues
on Iowa business under the rates fixed
by the railroads. yet since the legal
rates have been IN force there has been
a marked Improvement and a steady
increase in the revenues of nearly all
the roads in the state The aggregate
earnings in Iowa business climbing
from 7,14s, 5sS in 1887 to s43, I02. 39S in
1881"
That the rates have benefited Iowa
is evidenced by the increased business
hereunder The testimony of the rail-
road officials in the courts was that
they had caused q reduction of about
IS per cent OF local rates, which had
been exhorbitaEt-
The effect has been to stimulate
Iowa Industries by giving them cheap
fuel and low rates for getting their
produce to market It has caused the
opening Of new coal mines the erection
Of new mills. has wonderfully enlivened
the jObiEg interests and reduced prices
to the consumers and has largely in
creased the tonnage and revenues of
the roads. To enable Chicago to COM
pete with Iowa j0bbers. interstate rates
were reduced and prices cut, and the
lively competition and reduced rates
have resulted in lower prices TO the
consumer"
The farmer gets his supplies cheaper.
his lumber, coal, salt and other heavy
commodities at fair rates He finds
a market for a portion of his surplus
corn, oats. hay. wood. timber, etc, a
home, ard saves transportation Ee
markets many of his hogs in Iowa pack
ing houses and saves freight charges
Taking up the subject at this point,
Mr. Brown said
on page 9 Of the report Of 1893 will
be found a comparison of the wages
paid the railway employees of Iowa from
1889 tO-1e93. and the mum Der OF men en-
pioyed. to-wit- N 1852 there were Il 275
employees, who were paid on an average
S4s2-24 Per year In 1889 there were
p. e42 employees. who were paid an aver
age of S57f-11 per year. and in 1898 there
were 31-124 employees. who were paid an
average of $3.50 IS. which goes to prove
that reduced rates do not reduce the
number of employees or the rate of
wages; neither has it reduced the rave
nue. of the roads, and perhaps It would
not be out Of place for ne TO make
few comparisons Of rates between Iowa
and Kansas
For instance the distance from Pratt to
Kansas City is go miles the rate on
fourth-cIass freight is Is cents per hun
dred- the Iowa rate is 2435 cents The
second class rate from Pratt to Kansas
City is 81 cents per hundred. the Iowa
rate Is 90 q cents The rate on third
class goods from Pratt to Kansas City X
81 cents the Iowa rate for the same dis
tauce Is % IS cents per hundred The rate
on first class goods from Pratt TO Kansas
City is a cents. the Iowa rate for like
distance is 54.G2 cents
II may be said that comparisons are
odious. may be true but such as these are
certainly instructive
Some idea of the relative tonnage OF
Kansas and Iowa can be drawn from a
comparison Of the productions OF the two