The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-18
AT EXPORT RATES
Grain Shippers Change Lad
ing Bills of Wheat Enroute,
TO SECURE EXPORT RATES
Judge Reagon Writes Sug-
costing a Remedy.

at st. Louis in the interest of adjustment
OF rates on corn and wheat from Kansas
Texas and the west to seaboard, for ex
port and local consumption, writes to {
! Wichita grain man for information on thu
action Of the Mississippi congress
on the question. In the course Of his let
ter, Judge Reagan says: ''In the frs
place, the rate which has been adopted Il
open to very grave abuse. For instance
We are told that in making an export ratt
there Is no direct check to show that the
grain which Is billed for export goes int
foreign countries. That being So 1t /!
competent, IL men Will do it. to bill gralr
for export and on the way to the sea
coast, or wherever 1t is going, to take III
the bills and put 1t into local consumption
at export rates. So that any railroad
choosing to violate its duty to its custo
mers and to other railroads may combine
with customers to ship any amount Of
grain on export rates, take up the bills Of
lading and put II into local consumption
in opposition to grain shipped on the reg
ular local rates. That Is, those who may
be thus favored will have their grain ship
ped at about one-third of what It cost:
to ship for local consumption. Anything
that leads to such a condition of things
ought to be prevented, because so lena
as human nature remains as IT is, wher
the temptation to cupidty is so strongly
presented. that temptation "a not likely tc
be resisted. Besides this, the making oil
export rates so much below the cost OF
TRANSFORMATION for local consumption is IN
just to the pubic. It Is evident that the
rates which we are told prevail now on
export traffic are insufficient to afford just
compensation to the carriers, or else, II II
Is sufficient, the rates for local consump-
ton are very greatly excessive. There
fore. 1t cannot in that way be justified;
and If the grain for export Is carried be-
low the cost of transportation, and the
revenues Of the roads are to be preserved.
1t becomes necessary TO tax the people
who ship for local consumption to pay for
the carriage Of grain billed for export.
So that 1t involves the principle of max
ing one part Of the people pay for the cost
of the carriage of the goods of another
part Of the people. and in that particular
case it would be taxing the people of this
country for the benefit of those of other
countries where this grain, or its products,
is to be consumed. Now. then, I might
give an illustration OF this by referring
to the condition OF things existing between
the western states and the coast.
Wheat from any of the common point
territory Of Texas, which is very large. to
Galveston is IS cents per 100 for local con-
sumption, and where it goes over more
than one line it may be 171k cents per 100.
cents per 100 And from Wichita I under
stand 1t is IS cents per 100.
Now, we are tod competition makes
this condition of things. The competition
was between the railroads themselves. It
is true that that competition may be more
or less affected by the foreign markets.
but If we are to mingle, IL we are to blend
the railroad rates with the ocean rates,
WE can never have a permanent system of
rates, because of the continual fuctua-
tion Of the ocean rates. to which the rail-
roads try to conform, and in trying to
conform to them they disturb and break
down the relations Of rates at home.
RATES OUGHT TO BE SAME.
''It seems to me that any system of rates
that Is to attain the ends Of justice ought
to make the rates for export and the rates
for local consumption the same, and that
any system which is to secure regularity
and Justice should be separate entirely.
the inland from the ocean rates. 1 do not
see why this may not be done. I under
stand that we go on from time to time try
Ing to patch UP some bad condition of
things. instead Of trying TO reach basis
that will attain the ends OF justice. secure
the revenues OF the railroads and be fair
10 all. We attemt to atch systems OF
railroad rates and We cultivate a condi-
rates between the roads.
''If we can adopt a system which will
make the rates the same and separate
them fro nthe ocean transportation, then
The railroads may make regular rates. and
he competition for water rates would be
| competition between the carriers by
ocean. I do not see why that may not
pc done. and a great deal Of trouble saved. |
and 1t seems to me that we might adopt |
/ system OF rates. Of groups by mileage. |
'or instance. from the eastern seaboard. a |
he seaboard; the rate should be whatever |
night be agreed upon as reasonable and |
AIR. and by parallels Of longitude Of nat |
Iral subdivisions. such as by the Ohio |
liver, the Mississippi river and the Mis- |
ouri river. but perhaps It would have to |
h qualified by making other intermediate |
,laces. at least between the Ohio river |
md the seaboard. We might make rates. |
iud II seems 10 me that the railroad Of |
icials. with their active intelligence and |
mastery OF the subject, might devise a /
ystem OF rates that would enable them 20 |
make uniform rates TO the different east |
IN seaboari ports It will be understood. |
4 course. that differentisls might be nee |
ssary, such as were agreed upon long /
go by the commission, of which think |
'enator Thurman was president. hTe dif- /
srentials can be preserved under that /
y stem. and need not interfere with the /
ttempt TO adopt ouch a system Of rates /
'ased on groups and with the rates pub |
ished 10 the world. So, It might be from |
he Gulf coasts system OF rates based on
he parallels % latitude. might be adopted. |
he rates increasing as the distance in
reases, which itself would De Just and |
air. and the rates published. the rate uni
orm between the grain for export ard /
rain fer local consumption, separated /
rom the local rates.
J. ". Turner. whose wife Is suing him
or divorce, was yesterday committed TO
all for refusing to pay temporary all
1ony Of g per week for the support Of
a wife and three children