Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-22
FREIoHT RATES.

railroads use us. We are entirely at
their mercy. The interstate COM
MERGE commission lament their inabil'
ity to do anything without additional
power from Congress, which they will
not get. The maximum freight law
was unconstitutional, the court OF Wis
itation with power fix rates has been
found unconstitutional; anything and
everything that assumes to interfere
with railroad charging just as high u
rate as IL pleases to charge Is most I'M
dopbtedly unconstitutional. Now, our
governor thinks that il we can't
do any better, we should return to the
old abroad commissioners. The State
railroad commissioners had u right to
draw a salary and ride free, and this
is the sum Of the benefits the people
ever received from It's existence. And
II we are not entitled to anything bet
ter, lot US have nothing
A great railroad magnate at this
stage of the game, arises and breaches
the funeral of all such legislation and
assures the people that they are very
much better Off without railroad laws
and commissions, then goes back into
his den, pulls string, and up goes the
rate on grain east and south Of Kan
sas City lac per hundred, then touches
q button and puts the stock rate
higher than IL was in old Santa Fe
times. Then another pull raises the
rate on corn and wheat lic to Kansas
City, making the rate on corn to Kan
sas City 1890 per hundred instead of
l2c, and 27ic Galveston instead Of "a!
the rate that was established while the
maximum rate agitation was going on
in Topeka. But ! suppose Mr. ingalls,
would assure us that this Is all for our
benefit, Our great newsparers-our
detenders-say nothing, What is the
matterY Is 1t the work of the mag
netic healer that keeps them quiet
while the people are being robbed.
The stockmen are making a strong
kick, and we prophecy 1t will be eff
fectual because they are organized and
arallroad fears organized agitation and
respects it. The unfortunate corn
raisers, who are about as twenty to
one, compared to the feeders, have to
pay double the rate that the feeder
does for the same sized car and for
less service.
This is the comparison: A 38-foOt
stock car load to Kansas City costs the
shipper $3.50. THE same sized box
Car loaded with corn at the present
rate, laic per hundred, costs, for
SO, OOOlb, minimum weight, $3.50, just
6Oc more than double, and this is the
minimum charge, whether loaded tC
Its full capacity or not This IS an
other benefit that comes with the rise
In rates, the rise Of the minimum
The only way to account For this, il
that the stocKmen can and do organize
The farmers can't and wont. Nobody
defends them and they won't derenC
themselves. But why this discrimina
tionY Why should 1t cost more tt
transport corn than cattle? will
show you the difference, The value Of
a car of corn 1000 bushels) is herr
about 100000; the same sized car O
cattle 81 ,2OO,O0 to 81 500, and the liza
bility In case of total loss, is six time
as great with the cattle, but the rea
loss to the railroad In shipping corn il
not one dollar for twenty dollars los
in shipping cattle. More than that
all grain cars have to give thu
way to stock cars, and stock trains
A stockman gets pass, can stop tn,
train to unload at any yard and reall,
has things his own way; while TIN
grain man wouldn't be allowed t,
hang on the hind trucks, II he wa
shipping trainload of corn. We hav
talked about this injustice to railroa,
men and their reply is that the stocl
rate is too low. Still, they will run
stockman down to get his shipment
: all for the purpose Of losing money o.
the job. There is not an honest rail
road man but will acknowledge that
costs them in trouble and liabilit
! double as much to ship car of cattl
= as a car Of corn. Still corn pay
e double the amount of freight. An
= we are told they understand their bus
4 mess and should be allowed to run
7 without interference.
5 And now let us see whose OK is gore
l in this matter. There is not one ma
t in twenty in this county that feet
I cattle, and the price of corn Is fixed b