Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-31


enterprises,
II would be- difficult TO condense In
TO the same apnce u more remarkable
group OF inaccuracies aud mlsstate-
ments than are 10 be found In the
foregoing excerpt,
In the first place, the question OF
profits ls among the lenst or the
reasons underlying the demand for
goyeInment railroads while, under
government operation, the cost OF
service would be immaterial, because
II would be redistributed among the
people In the form of salaries and
wages instead Of, as now, going as
interest and dividends 20 capitalists.
And, besides, able writers have damon-
strnted that enormous savings In eN'
pcnse Of operation would be brought
about by the elimination of compete
tive methods In the railroad service.
And, finally, there Is nothing TO pre-
vent the government from employing
the SELECTED individuals who now
serve the private corporations ond
thus receiving the full benefit Of their
"capncty" and experience,
But rs before stated, the questions
of profit and cost are as nothing COM
pared with the power the private rail-
road corporations have in the use OF
secret rebates and determinations,
whereby they build up one commu-
nifty and destroy another enrich one
set Of shippers and bankrupt another
and establish and foster combines and
trusts to the detriment and ruin of
other would-be competing firms and
individuals,
The interstate commerce commits
| sion sent 10 the senate reply 20 u
resolution offered by Senator Harris
for all the facts In the case Of Mcleod
Brothers, Of Marietta, Kan, That
firm, In Il communication 10 President
Mckinley, stated that the Midland
Elevator company, branch of the
Peavey Elevator company had not
complied with the corporation laws
Of Kansas and that It's agents were
going into different towns and COM
polling grain dealers to divide or pool
their business This communication
was referred TO the interstate COM
mprcc commission and the commits
sion made an investigation, The re-
suit of this investigation is presented
In the reply to Mr., Harrls's resoIu'
ton, The commissions statement Is
us follows;
Ralroad companies engaged In carry
Ing grain from Marietta ana various
other points I'm Kansas obtain much th'
lnrgcr portion OF such traffic from par
llculnr companies or firms For example
Peavey ~ Co, buy and ship over IN
Union Pacific railroad. Counselmnn " Co
over the Chicago, ROCK Island n Paclc
j. H. Davidson a. Co, over the Missouri
Kansas n Texas; j, II, Harris over tn
Chicago, Burlington a Quincy ANA Ken
ordson Il Co. over the AtchlSon, Topeka
a Santa Fe. Such buyers and shipper
Of grain are usually referred to IA lin
denlers' and they have sometimes bee
referred to by railroad officials AZ thci
southwestern grain agents
, Other buyers of grain In such local.
ties, though provided with facilities 70
economical handling and shipment, hay
been unable to obtain amy considerable
p amount of grain In competition win IN
line Loalors, because such line dealer
hive pnid much more at competing point
thnn the market price at Chicago or Kan
e sas city added to the published freigh
rates 10 these markets,
Through the continued offerings c
! prices IN excess OF those fixed In the maj
g ket cities combined with the publlshc
railway tariffs many Of the indcpender
dealers have been forced out of bushes
or brought up TO the point OF doing hit
Il or no business
T. After securing a practical monopoly
n, particular localities the prices offered b
the line dealers have fallen to and son
70 times below those fixed by the marki
10 price ana published transportation charg
:, Frequently the line dealers would fore
=, the formation of pool between then
i selves and other dealers at n given POln
I which would give them larger portt
!. of the trade. At other places they wou
>, offer to buy out the Independent deal
u at price much below the value Of u
e plant and threaten to destroy his bus
4 ness If the offer should be rejected,
II appears strongly probable that wror
v has boon done and that II has been q
u fcctud, not In the construction or adjus
@ mont of lawfully established tariffs su
=, lcct to correction by this commission, b
u by discriminating dcvtatlons therefrom
criminal aCts--whlCh are Cogni2able on
D. by the federal courts,
Il, The ascertanment with sufficient &C
tnlntv ana detail of facts necessary to
o tormiuc whether judicial proceedin
10 opght to h0Jnstituted and If 50 to sustn
~ that proceeding apparently requires su
expert examination of the books and !
s. pcrs of the carriers the commission h
" no authority under law by itself or ~
ia agent to make, It does not appear til
anything further can be done by the co
"- mission which Is likely to lead to ber
~ fetal results,
nd Government ownership and opel
he ton would work equal and exact il
n. ticc to all patrons Of the service, woI
if establish uniform and unynrying tai
No. rates to and for all alike and wol
yh abolish the present system of sec,
mr. rebates and determinations which,
no present, constitute the private II
M. road corporations prolific breeders
,n. trusts, GEORGE c. WAR;
or THE REMEDY FOR TRUSTS
W. Russia Seems to Understand the Pro
.atN Ma. fl.s.t