The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-02
Kansas Shippers Complain Of
Unjust Discrimination.
Packing Houses Reap AdYant-
ages OF Deception.
ISACLEYER SCHEME
Dressed Poultry PaImed OF For
Beef.
Freight Rate Lower and Local
Shippers Suffer.

Representatives of the produce buy
ers and shippers in Kansas and Okla
homa are in session at the Hotel Throop
today, for the purpose of preparing and
making a demand upon the railroads
for more equitable freight rates
The president of the association for
Kansas is Thomas Parker of Hutchin-
son. G. c. Bow man of Topeka is secre-
tary.
The commission merchants and pro-
duce shippers claim that they are SUI.
fering serious determinations which
practically prevent them from engag-
ing in the business outside of the state.
This prohibitive restriction, they charge
is due to the freight rates.
one year ago today the representa-
tlves of the produce shippers of Kan
sas met at the Throop and organized a.
state association. The organization
proceeded to quiet work with the rail-
road companies and some good was ac-
complished in securing rate conces-
sions.
The advantages of such an organiza-
tion, which has for it's motto, I'm Unity
There is Strength were apparent to the
Oklahoma men engaged in the same
class of business and they soon enlisted
in common cause with the Kansas men.
The produce shippers rely principally
upon the egg and poultry industry but
they have come into competition with
the great packing companies in ship
ping dressed poultry and 'tis but anoth-
er case of the small dealer being
squeezed" by the larger and stronger
corporation.
The packing companies with head
quarters at Kansas City ship train
loads of dressed beef products where
the Kansas produce shipper markets
one car.
Then too, the packing companies send
out to various points in the state their
special poultry cars and return them
to Kansas City hlled with live poultry.
This poultry is dressed and plared on
the market. AMI, therein lies the dam
ger to the Kansas and Oklahoma ship
per.
The discrimination which the Kansas
and Oklahoma shippers complain of is
not so much the fault of the railroads
as it is the result of a clever scheme
on the part of the packing companies.
The rate to New York, Chicago and
eastern marketSs-on dressed poultry, is
two and three times the rate on dressed
beef. But the packing companies do
not pay that rate. They pay the same
rate that their beef shipments carry.
This is accomplished by placing the
dressed poultry in ham and bacon and
dressed meat boxes. The poultry is then
billed for shipment as ham, bacon or
dressed beef, whatever may be the label
on the box In this manner the COM
panies escape the payment of the high
er rate on the dressed poultry. This fea-
ture enables the packers to go into the
state and if necessity demands, also en-
ables them to pay more for the live
poultry than the local shippers can af-
ford to pay. AS a whole the result is
rather disastrous to the local man.
To correct this abuse on the part OF
the packing companies is the hope OF
the shippers association in ses-
sion in Topeka today. 1t is
probable that a manifesto setting forth
the circumstances will be prepared and
submitted to the railroad managers,
Last year similar action was taken
and some of the abuses along this line
were corrected by Kansas lines. Now
the practice has been renewed by some
Kansas lines anil particularly active
are those lines east of Kansas City over
which the Kansas shipper must trans
port his products to the markets of the
east
The association comes to Topeka un-
heralded by long programmes and an
nouneements, but with a. determination
to accomplish good if it is possible. The
members are reticent too, about what
theV propose to do