The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-14
Daily ~ sa9le
NJ. NJ. MURDOCH. Editor.
KANSAS AND THE SANTA FE.


The Santa Fe officials are still stick
ing to it that the new management un
der tie reorganization proposes to stand
by policy Of local development ant
the conservation of enterprises along it:
lines, without reference to the demands
Of terminal Influences and central con
nections. Mr.. Davis, the industrial
agent of Third Vice President Morton
is back again in Kansas, we see, with
the declaration that it will be his busl
ness to re-establish the local industries
and enterprises of the state which were
frozen out by the short-sighted long
haul craze which has proved so suicidal
in the creation of tonnage and of profit
able traffic. Mr.. Davis is undertaking
big job If be expects to re-establish
local industries and at the same time
maintain terminal haul advantages and
local determinations. AS a case in point
as an important and pat instance, how
does he expect to re-establish the dis
mantled foundries and machine shops,
the pillow works, the car works, the
blaming mills and sash factories and the
like formerly operating in Wichita,
while charging over double the freight
ON coal to Wichita for the same coal
hauled the same distance to Kansas
City? When it comes to factories freight
rates on fuel cuts more of a figure than
freight rates on the raw material in, or
rates on the manufactured product out.
He talks of encouraging creameries.
How? The interior has the cows and
the grass already. Creameries can ex-
list and flourish only in country towns.
A creamery in Chicago or Kansas City
is an impossibility. The freight rate on
the creamery product cuts but a little
figure with either the railroad or the
Touring mills shall be encouraged? The
rate on fuel for the mill once made the
same to the interior point as it is to the
center and there will be no need of any
exertion to induce capital into interior
Kansas for the erection of mills. A
-four rate to gulf points from Southern
Kansas as low as the rate from Kansas
City, and a pro rata per ton per mile TO
Chicago and other points with that of
the milling centers would convert the
entire whear product of this region into
-four by home mills, and a consequent
employment of additional laborers and
consumers, to say nothing Of the in
creased tonnage of fuel and supplies,
even if flour be no more desirable as
a freight than the raw wheat And this
is but one phase or two of the problem
10 which Mr.. Davis is about addressing
himself. Even if the local haul were
not the profitable haul there is no
chance Of increasing the tonnage of the
long haul except through local develop
ment. Railway homogeneous have per-
sistently refused to see OF admit this in
the past, but it is nevertheless true. If
they have understood II, the greater
and dominating interests found at the
commercial centers Of the roads termin-
ais have Influenced and commanded an
opposite policy. In local growth and
development are to be found the sole
salvation for interior lines of railway.
Double the inha bitants of Kansas and
you double the present local business Of
every mile of railway in the state.
There is room and profitable opportun-
ity for an additional million of people
in the state under the policy suggested,
and the roads can induce such an addi- |
ton of business and Of population with
out detracting from the present tonnage
and business of their terminal points. |
If the roads will but conserve the COM
mercial and industrial interests of their |
local stations, towns and cities, the far
mer and mechanic, the laborer and the |
capitalist Will do the rest. In no other |
way can the industries and interests |
which formerly furnished so much more |
satisfactory returns TO the transporta- |
ton lines of the state be re-eStablished |
and made to succeed The Eagle did its |
part, at one time, in attracting people |
and enterprises to this state, but il |
could not hold them as against rate dis |
ordinations 1t largely remains for the |
railroads to induce their return. not by |
advertising or personal solicitation. but |
10y affording the opportunity, by which |
act and only by such act can the roads |
Increase their present business. These |
are discouraging times in which to in |
ident Morton and outlined by Mr.. Davis, |
nor can immediate returns of increased |
revenues be calculated upon, but it is |
nevertheless the policy which. If adj |
hered TO. will win in the end, however !
discouraging the present cost