The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-01
TOM POTTER SPEAKS.
Explains Why Cattlemen Gain Little
by Compromise With Railroads.

Thomas NJ. Potter of Peabody has
Joined J. T. White of Ada in protest
ing against the claim of the railroads
that important concessions were made
to the stockmen at the recent confer
ence concerning rates.
Mr.. Potter does not Join with Mr..
White in charges of compromises
against the members of the committee,
majority of which accepted the propo-
sitiOn of the railroads, but he protests
against the claim that the stockmen are
benefited as a result. Mr.. Potter says
publication:
Instead of the old feed and transit
rate so long enjoyed by the people,
which amounted in Marion county to
$23 per Sc foot car less than the two To-
cal rates to the feed lots and out again
to Kansas City, we now have rate not
to exceed the through rate cents per
100. This makes a net reduction of
$3.50 instead of the old $2S car.
AS we are told that there will likely
be about 10000 cars shipped this year
into Kansas, the inference is that we
should be thankful that they did not
demand any more increase than S250, 900
in this one line alone.
Indeed we might be content If that
were air; but, the great bulk of Kansas
raised and fed cattle are not affected
by the feed and transit rule, but are
crease of Is to 20 per cent over the old
car load rate. For example: the old
rate from Marion county points was
$3S for a SO foot car to Kansas City;
now 1t is 1472 cents per hundred, which
in an ordinary load of fat cattle of H.
GOO pounds would make $3815, or over
So advance; this in connection with the
feed and transit advance will make
from one-half to three-quarters of a
million dollars demanded of the stock
men of the state more than they have
been paying formerly for the same SER
vice. This to me is concession with a
vengeance.
THE first of the five stipulations
mentioned by Mr.. Morton was protest
ed against as we knew nothing about
Missouri or Iowa rates but we did
know that Kansas rates were raised
approximately IS per car load Of SO feet
when compared with the old rate In
some cases to be sure, less, but in many
cases in the corn belt much more than
S. per car.
THE second stipulation as to pasture
rates. We accepted and got a conces-
sion of one-half cent per hundred from
what the roads wanted, and we had to
take that or nothing, thus increasing
our rates to pasture 81 to 81 a car,
owing to locality.
As to the third proposition, the
roads by consistency were compelled to
rectify inequalities in charges for equal
distances from different stations.
The reduction OF Colorado cattle to
$4,000 minimum price per car will prove
an advance in Colorado rates when the
railroads begin to weigh western cat
tie in Kansas.
LAS to the fifth article of the agree
ment, if the cattle are to be weighed, it
saves time, bruiSing in switching and
inaccuracies that are liable to occur to
accept the weights at the yard less the
fill
Thus Mr.. Morton has attempted YER
bally and through the press to make
the stockmen believe:
"First-That %. 900 pounds is a car
load when their cars have a capacity
of from 10000 to $4,000 pounds, and 81
500 is a very ordinary car load of corn
fed cattle, as every stockman knows.
"Second-He tries to show that the
railroad management has made great
concessions to the cattle interests, when
in fact they have increased their
charges to the stockmen of the state
approximately from one-half to one
million dollars.
"Third-They pretend that the COM
mittee of the stockmen agreed to the
five articles above mentioned, the first
and most important of which the stock
men most emphatically protested
against, and accepted the others simply
because it meant that or nothing.
ITO me this failure of the stockmen to
get a fair and equitable concession
from the railroads has been most po-
tent example of the necessity of an i'm
partial tribunal constitutionally organ
lied, to which the people can appeal for
redress"