Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-27
TO BE EFFECTIVE SATURDAY.
Kansas City Rate on Sugar and Mo-
Insses to Apply to Omaha From
New Orleans.
The Omaha Bee of yesterday says:

The Omaha Bee of yesterday says:
Freight circles in the West have been agi-
tated for nearly a week regarding the re-
port that the Kansas City, PittsburG &
Gulf railroad would establish a parity be-
tween the freight rates on northbound
shipments to Omaha and to Kansas City.
Rumors of one kind and another have been
flying SO fast with regard to this latest
move of the Port Arthur route that it has
been well night impossible to keep up with
them. 1t was announced here Yesterday
that the new freight tariff containing the
changes ina will place Omaha on an equal
from the South will be issued within a day
or two and will be effective on Saturday of
this week. January g.
ported from Kansas City. secure an equal
.ty between rates to Omaha and 10 KAN
sas City from the South by raising the
rates to both cities the same by reducing
the rates to Omaha from Southern points
to be equal with those to Kansas TS CITY ir ON
understanding the local freight department
of the Kansas City. Pittsburg & Gulf rail
opinion of the highest freight officials of
other lines that such a course would be the
only possible one to secure an equality pc
tween rates to Omaha and to Kansas city
from the South.
The reduction in rates from the South to
Omaha by the Port Arthur route will not
affect ali classes of freight. but will be
made with regard to the following COM
modities only: Sugar. rice, coffee and mo-
lasses. While the tariff has not yet been
issued the advance notice of its issuance
has been filed with the interstate COM
merce commission, as required. and from
this advance notice it is understood that
the reduction on the commodities named
will be 5 cents per 100 pounds, viz: Mo-
lasses. from 3s to 80 cents per 100 pounds:
sugar, from So to 80 cents per 100 pounds.
Such reduction will remove the differentiai
that has heretofore been maintained on
SbinrnaptS from tho South ~ Omaha and
those to Kansas City.
The report that the Port Arthur route
would establish n parity in north bound
rates to Omaha and to Kansas City was at
first discredited by freight traffic men be-
cause it was given out in Kansas City that
the rates to Kansas City would be raised
to equal those to Omaha. If this We're
done it would practically mean that the
Port Arthur route had retired from bus
mess to Kansas City unless the other South
crn roads raised their rates. which they
declined 10 do. Very naturally a great howl
of protest went up from Kansas City. but
it is believed that this will be subdued
when the Kansas City merchants learn
that the equality in rates is to be secured
not by raising their rates, but by reducing
those TO Omaha.
The reduction will not concern any south
bCuuf shipments. and these constitute the
most important part of tho freight traffic
of Southern lines. The shipments of grain
and OF packing house products to southern
ports and cities are immense from both
Omaha and Kansas City. Should the diff
ferertial now maintained between Omaha
and Kansas City in regard to this volume
of business destined southwark be removed
the greatest good would come to the pack
ing houses and to grain companies here.
So far as the commodities on which the
rates from the South to Omaha are to
be reduced, namely: Sugar, rice, coffee
and molasses. considerable shipments of
them are received mere every week, espe-
cially sugar from New Orleans.
General Freight Agent Sargent. of the
Pittsburg & Gulf. was in Omaha ycSter-
day. Assistant General Freight Agent
Smythe could not he seen last night. Pres
ident StiIwell said he did not know these