Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-10-13

Q. What is the stock yards law?
a. 1t is law passed by the last Leg
Is3ature defining a public stock yard
saad regulating the yardage and feed
Dag charges in the same.
@. Who passed this law?
A The Populist party in the 1897 Leg
s5zlature.
q. Are there any public stock yards
a Ahe State to which this law applies?
"A Yes, the one at Kansas City.
-. What reduction did the law make
IA garbage charges?
A. 1t reduced the charges for cattle
2ezom % to Is cents head, calves from
re to cents per head, hogs from to
= cents per head and sheep from to
- CENTS per head.
Q. What reduction did it make in feed
szAaEges?
a. It eliminated the charge of 81 per
eashei for corn and 81 per hundred for
Gay and provided that the company
ssAon]d not charge to exceed 100 per cent.
S4eove the market price.
Q. Did the Kansas City stock yards
seoznDan3 comply with the provision of
skAe law?
A. It did not, but went to the Federal
seouTts and secured temporary injunc-
Szon against Attorney General Boyle en-
&4eaning him from prosecuting it for it's
-szefnsa! to obey the law.
@. What reason did it assign for not
sscmplying with the law?
A. It alleged that the rates were not
compensatory and that it would ruin it's
causiness.
@. What did Judge Foster do in the
matter?
A. He appointed Judge Geo. w. Clark
as special master to take testimony as
90 the cost and value of the Kansas City
sztock yards, and as to the reasonable
saess Of the rates fixed by law.
20. What did the special master do?
II GQd tn falx for
twenty-five days and made a report
which was accepted and adopted by the
court
@. What does this special masters re-
port show?
A First, that the Kansas City stock
yards company started out in 1871 with
"a capital stock of $4,000 paid in cash;
snecond that up to February 1, 1897 it
had expended upon the plant cash to the
amount of S2,4S4,5 800; third, that dur
Ing this time it had drawn out cash to
s&Ae amount of $4,66O, 976; fourth, that it
lad watered its stock from time to time
Saxztil it had outstanding stock to the
amount of S7,36S,650; fifth, that it's pres
: $e1S value is S5,3S8. 003.25.
Z. Does the report of the master show
shat from an investment of only 500 900
zzle company, out of the earnings of the
plant. has expended $24S4 500. divided
"a cash nearly two millions and a half
and still has a property worth over S.
Ssea,000 upon which it is asking the stock
-ssaisers to pay revenue?
IA. II certainly does.
o. Whose money built up this tremen-
s2ous business?
"A The money of the men who ship to
me Kansas City stock yards.
@. What does the masters report
Eshow in regard to the profits of the BUSH
saess for 1896?
"a First, that the total receipts were
S1012,271.22; second. that the total dis
&urSements were 1855, 712.4S, leaving a
Saet income for the year of $646, 558.73.
Q. What per cent. of profit would this
~Sse on the capital stock?
a The masters report finds that it
would be 1886 per cent, but as nearly
sS.00O,000 of this stock represents moth
Tag but water, the actual return is about
aae per cent. ass
q. What does the master find that the
sroflts of the concern would have been
IN the year 1896 had the legislative rates
%aeen IL force?
"A. S345, 906.96. A rate per cent. of S.98
e. How much of a saving would this
ase for the year?
IA $500, 651.77.
q. To whom would this saving be
aaaade?
a To the stock raisers who ship to
sAe Kansas City stock yards.
@. How would the business for 1897
sso<npare with that of 1896?
a. The twenty-seventh annual report
40 the company. for the year ending De-
<sember 81, 1897. shows that more cat
Szte. more hoes, more calves and more
ssheep were handled in the yards in 1897
s<2nan ever before, and that the business
<sf the yards is growing So that this
~Ene saving made by the Legislature will
annually exc ed S300, 000
q. What pr cent. of the stock ham
&ed in the Kansas City stock yards
'aanleS from Kansas?
"A. About sc per cent.
%. What has been the result of the lit
eation so far?
A. Judge Foster sustained the law in
carried the after before judge Thayer
who also sustained the law in every par
stkculaT and has now taken an an
peal to the Supreme Court of the United
states W er will probably be heard
S7eXt January.
Z. What provision has been made to
Rrotect the interests of the shipper in
zkAe meantime?
"A The court at the request of Attor.
Skey General Boyle. has required the
stock yards company to enter into bonds
60 return to every shipper the exces.
aeaarges over and above the law that b.
cay be required to pay during the pend
sazcy Of the suit, provided. of course, the
law IL upheld by the Supreme court O
4ae United States.
Q. What does this mean to the ship
ser?
a. 1t means that the company will b.
SEequired to refund upwards of $500, 90
excess charges taken during the year
1897 and 1898 from the shippers, an,
RI c100 0n0 of This will eoz,,