Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-26
FOR SOLUTION OF THE GRAIN IN
TRANSIT PROBLEM.
THE VANDERBILTS' INTENTIONS.
FOR A TRANsCONTINENTAL LINE,
TERMINATING AT Los ANGELES.
Local Passenger Men Consider Adver-
tisinE Observation-Disclosures Com
ductOrs Oppose Two Cents IL
Mile LegisIation-Oth-
er Railway News.
Local Pnssen

| Traffic Manager ]. ]. Fletcher, of the
Fort Scott & Memphis; Assistant General
| Freight Agent l.. A. Leland, of the
katy; Assistant General Freight Agent
c. r. Berry of the Chicago Great West
ern; Joint Agent F. c. Maegly, of the
Western Freight Association, and other
Southw est Missouri river traffic representa-
| tives left last evening for Chicago, where
| matters of great Importance to Kansas
City grain interests are to come before spe-
cial meetings of the Western Freight As
sociation and the Southwestern Traffic As
sociGton to-day. The question of transit
privileges on grain at Southwest Missouri
river points is to be taken up by both as
sociations and 1t is expected some DISPOSE
ton will be made of it. The present ar
rangement is unsatisfactory, especially as
regards Western Freight Association ter,
ritory. While transit privileges are not all
lowed on grain at Kansas City, st. Joseph,
Leavenworth or Atchison, they are allowed
at every whistling station west of the Mis-
souri, river. The discrimination is made on
the theory that Kansas City can afford to
pay l or cents more 10 have the grain
stopped here. While the theory works out
in practice in some cases, and the present
basis was acceptable to the grainmen as a
means of securing settlement of the dis
astrouS grain rate war of the summer
months, il has operated very greatly to
the disadvantage of the grain interests of
kanS9S City as a whole.
The roads, the lines of which enter the
grain belts OF the Missouri river, were re-
spODsible for the application OF the present
discrimination The difference of l cent or
more in the rate where grain is stopped at
Kansas City has operated to prevent its
stopping here, and consequently prevented
the competition of the lines terminating
here for the business to it's Eastern desti-
naticn, the lines shipments originating on
hauling them through from the growing
point to their termini. For the same reason
that the long lines favored the present
plan, the roads having their Western ter
mini at the Missouri river have opposed it.
Ii is also a question if some of the long
lines have not grown tired OF II, as 1t has
doubtless operated to turn business to the
Gulf ports for export.
Two solutions of the question are pro-
posed. One of these contemplates the wip-
ing out of the difference between the
through rates and the combination of the
local and proportional; This might be done
either by reducing the proportional rate
east of the Missouri river, SO that added to
the local rate into Kansas City, II would
just equal the present through rate, or by
advancing the through rate to a point equal
to the sum of the present local and propor-
tional rates. 1t is hardly probable that the
latter plan will be adopted unless the Gulf
lines will agree to advance the rates 10 New
Orleans and Galveston. The former plan,
If the Gulf rates remain unchanged, would
help the Chicago and Mississippi river lines
to meet the Gulf competition
This solution. however, is not considered
by the local railway men as likely of adop-
ton in either of it's forms. The plan re-
garded as StanQlnS the pest CIldnCe OIL De
ing adopted is that proposed by Traffic
Manager Fletcher, of the Memphis. Mr..
Fletcher's plan provides that the grain
may be stopped seveIity-two hours at
Southwest Missouri river points on through
billing. This time limit is regarded as an
swering all except purely speculative pur-
poses, and while it does not revive the old
reconsignment practice or the privileges
under it, it removes under reasonable re-
strictions, the great faults of the prevail
ing system. Mr.. Fletcher would also ap-
ply the seventy-two hour rule to interior
points so as to equalize the privileges.
This would remove the discrimination now
complained of. He would allow milling
in transit. by adding cents to the through
rates. That is. the proportional rate from
the point where grain is milled should be
2 cents higher than the balance of the
through rate. Grain is to not be diverted
to out of the way points for the extension
of transit privileges. except in certain in
stances where it may be necessary for
the protection of the business of some of
the lines. Such cases are. however, to be
limited and to be fixed arbitrarily and APP
proved by the association.
1t is believed by local railroad men that
some action will be taken at the Chicago
meeting. The representatives. of the diff
feTent lines who are closest in touch with
the situation here have been either called
into Chicago or asked by their traffic man.
ayers to submit fully their views in the
matter,