The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-31

discrimination practiced by the rail-
roads of Kansas in favor or parties IN
Atchison and LeaVenworth Evidence
now on file with the state railroad COM
missioners of Kansas tells the story,
which may easily be corroborated by
the official report of the chief grain in
spector of Kansas to Governor Leedy.
Mr. Culver states that for the first IA
months of the establishment of state
inspection the four largest cities OF
Kansas received grain as follows:
Kansas City, Kan, Il, 634 cars.
Atchison, Kan, 1S07S cars.
Leavenworth, Kan, 1886 cars.
Topeka, Kan, 6562 cars.
Mr.. Culver further states that Whlle
Kansas City ranks first in capacity to
store and handle grain, Topeka ranks
second in this direction; besides Topeka
is pre- minently the first city in Kansas
as a milling center; and yet. Atch1son
and Ieavenworth, whose combined pop
ulation about equals the population OF
Topeka, buy and sell more than four
times as much of the products of west
ern farms than does Topeka. 1t there
a citizen of Topeka, who dare stand up
and claim that AtchiSOn and LeaVen-
worth grain dealers are more enterpr1S-
ing than are Topeka dealers? If so,
LET him read the evidence on file in the
railroad commissioners office and he
will get over his delusion. Thousands
and thousands of carloads OF Kansas
wheat and corn pass through
TODelza annually on the way to Kansas
City, Kan, and other Missouri river
towns, and are there sold, transferred
and re-shipped back through Topeka,
over the same railroads to Galveston
at a less rate of freight than these ROADS
charge from Topeka to Galveston. If
this is not rank discrimination, what is
it? The rate of freight on wheat from
Hutchinson, Kan, for instance, to To
peka, 1853 miles, is 10 cents per 100
pounds, yet during the present month
the railroads are hauling this same
wheat 525 miles farther to Chicago for
an additional cents per 100 pounds.
Will the kind hearted individual, who
is ever fearful that railroad stockhold-
ers will become public charges, tell the
citizens Of Topeka if wheat can be
hauled 525 miles for cents per 100
pounds, what ought to be the rate Of
freight on wheat for distance OF 16S
miles?
Is a system that lays down the raw
material (wheaD almost as cheap IN
Chicago as in Topeka to the interest
of our milling industry? have known
our Touring mills idle, unable to COM
pete with Minneapolis mills using Kan
the railroads in favor of mills of an
other state 400 miles away.
The Creator in His wisdom has placed
a bountiful supply of coal right at our
doors, hardly thirty miles to the south
of US. If this coal is brought to Topeka
the railroad company charges so cents
per ton for the service. although the
company hauls this same coal right
City, 81 miles distant, for only cents
per ton additional, Notwithstanding the
fact that the rate of freight on coal
from Kansas City to Topeka westward
over the same road, the same distance
81 miles, is rs cents per ton. You see,
my friends, the railroad companies have
discovered the difference between tweed
ledee and tweedIedum and are applying
their discovery in making freight rates,
by charging one rate over the same dis
lance for freight going west and quite
another rate in case the traffic goes
east, but in every instance to Topeka's
disadvantage and in favor of other
cities in Kansas.
Do you wonder why our manufactur-
ing and foundry industries are
in a dormant condition, while
those OF Missouri river towns
are hourishing? The natural adj
vantages given Topeka by an aIl-wise
providence are absolutely neutralized by
the unjust discrimination of Kansas
railroads against our fair city.