Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-05-30

run these roads at less rates ana nav az.
penses. On the other hand there IS every
reason TO believe that IL the government
We're in the railroad business TODAY it
would nave to raise rates or meet a de-
| nc1t- That is because the government ha 9
not the capacity Of the selected indivtdu-
ais Who now run the railroads as private
| enterprises
1t would be difficult to condense in
TO the same space more remarkable
group of inaccuracies and misstate-
ments than are to be found in the
foregoing excerpt.
In the fret place, the question of
proflts is among the least of the
reasons underlying the demand for
government railroads while, under
government operation, the cost of
service would be immaterial. because
1T would be redistributed among the
people in the form of salaries and
wages instead of, as now, going as
interest and dividends to capitalists.
AND, besides, able writers have demon
strated that enormous savings in ex-
pense of operation would be brought
| about by the elimination of competi-
1--WE 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 and
thus receiving the full benefit of their
capacity" and experience.
But, as 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.
Ihe interstate commerce commits
sion sent to the senate reply to a
resolution offered by Senator Harris
for all the facts in the case of Mcleod
Brothers, of Marietta, Kan. That
firm, in communication to 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 its agents were
going into different towns and COM
peliing grain dealers to divide or pool
their business. This communication
was referred to the Interstate COM
meree commission and the commits
sion made an investigation. The re-
suit of this investigation is presented
in the reply to Mr. Harris's resolu-
ton. The commissions statement is
as follows:
Railroad companies engaged in carry
ing grain from Marietta and various
other points ia Kansas obtain much the
larger portion of such traffic from par
ficuiar conpantes or firms. For example.
Peavey Il Co. buy and ship over the
Union Pacific railroad; Counselman & Co.
over the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific:
]. X. Davidson & Co. over the Missouri.
kansas & Texas; ]. F. Harris over the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. and Rich
ardson & Co. over the Atchison Topeka
Santa Fe. Such buyers and shippers
OF grain are usually referred to as Zine
Dealers and they have sometimes been
referred to by railroad officials as their
southwestern grain agents.
Otner buyers of grain in such localf-
ties, though provided with facilities for
economical handling and shipment, have
been unable to obtain any considerable
amount or grain In competition with the
line dealers. because such line dealers
have paid much more at competing points
tnan the market price at Chicago or Kan
sas City added to the published freight
rates to these markets.
Through the continued offerings of
prices In excess of those fixed in the mar
Ket cities combined with the published
railway tariffs many of the independent
dealers have been forced out of business
or brought up to the point Of doing little
or no business.
After securing a practical monopoly in
particular localities the prices offered by
the line dealers have fallen to and some
times below those fixed by the market
price and published transportation charge.
Frequently the line dealers would force
the formation of a pool between them
serves and other dealers at a given point,
which would give them a larger portion
of the trade. AT other places they would
o1rer to buy out the Independent dealer
at price much below the value of the
piant ana threaten to destroy his busi-
ness If the offer should be rejected.
1T appears strongly probable that wrong
has been done and that it has been eff.
fected, not in the construction or adi,,st
ment of lawfully established tariffs sub
1ect to correction by this commission. hut
Dy discriminating devfations therefrom-
criminal acts-which are cognizable only
by the federal courts.
The ascertainment with sufficient cer
tafnty and detail of facts necessary to de-
termipe whether judicial proceedings
ought to be instituted and IL so to sustain
that proceeding apparently requires such
expert examination of the books and ma
pers OF the carriers the commission has
no authority under law by itself or an
agent to make. 1t does not appear that
anything further can be done by the COM
mission which is likely to lead to bene-
ficial results.
Government ownership and opera
tion would work equal and exact ius,
tice to all patrons of the service, would
establish uniform and unvarying tariff
rates to and for all alike and would
abolish the present system of secret
rebates and determinations which. at
present, constitute the private rail-
road corporations prolific breeders of
trusts. GEORGE q wApp
THE REMEDY FOR TRUSTS.
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