The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-06
WANT TO ARBlTRATE.
Railroad Attorneys Make an
Offer to Cattlemen
To Arbitrate the Matter of
Livestock Freight Rates.
The Proposition is Rejected and the
Hearing Begins Before the
Railroad Comm .ss. .oners.

The cattlemen of Kansas are here in
large numbers to make a strong fight
against the Inauguration of the cents
per hundred pounds cattle rate by the
Kansas railroads, the operation of
which is temporarily suspended
through an injunction issued by Judge
w. A Randolph of the district court of
Lyon county.
The writ of injunction was accompa-
MED by an order restraining the rail-
roads from enforcing the new rate and
compelling them to restore the car load
rate pending a settlement of the con-
trOversy.
A large number of cattlemen came to
Topeka yesterday to attend the hear
ing before the state board of railroad
commissioners.
The railroad attorneys held a confer
ence and agreed that a proposition for
arbitration of the trouble on all issues
between the cattlemen and the railroad
companies, should be submitted to the
caLtlemen.
1t was provided that a committee of
three, or less, representing the rail-
roads, and a committee of five, or less,
representing the shippers, should Qrbi-
trate the differences.
The cattlemen rejected the PROPOSE
ton, and the hearing was opened before
yesterday afternoon. An adjournment,
after the examination of a few Witness
es, was taken until 10 o'clock today
Thomas NJ. Potter of Peabody, who
was a candidate for the Republican
nomination for governor last year. and
is again mentioned in that connection,
was one of the principal witnesses yes
terday afternoon.
Mr.. Potter testified that the new rate
makes an increase of So to 81. 50 per car,
compared with the car load rate, from
Peabody to Kansas City. On standard
cars the increase is So per car; on SO
foot cars the increase averages 81 to
$3.50 per car.
DO you think the car load rate is a
reasonable rate?" asked T. N. Sedg-
wick of the NJ, K. & T.
No, sir; I do not Comparing that
with general conditions, it is my opin-
ion that the car load rate should be re-
dUCed"
Nj Sedgwick asked the witness if, in
his opinion, the car load rate is fair to
the railroads?
1t is just as fair to the railroads as
your system of Weighing is to the cat
tIemen,' retOrted Mr.. Potter.
General Solicitor Kenna of the San
ia F'e took the witness at this juncture
and by a rigid examination attempted
to convince Mr.. Potter that his theories
were incorrect.
Why" said Mr.. Potter, 4 have been
informed that the system of weighing
practiced by the Santa Fe at Kansas
City, also by other lines entering there,
is regarded as being SO inaccurate that
the elevators will not accept the
weights taken from the company's
scales"
DO you know that this is true of
your own knowledge?'' asked Mr.. Ken
ma.
mo, sir; I have simply been told that
this is true by some of the most respOn-
sible dealers in Kansas City
Then your testimony on THAI rFS1t
is valueless so far as this hearing is
concerned" continued Mr.. Kenna-
c. A. EdmondS of McLOuth testified
that the 100 pound rate would cause an
increase Of 81 to SO per car from his
place to Kansas City
Representative Lot Ravenscraft of
Clark county also gave similar testi-
nOnV