Abilene weekly reflector., 1901-08-22

Uo0h oVOh'Vohou' az" WV A"s0 ""c
continued In force.
A few years ago, in the readjust-
ment Of through rates from points in
Kansas to points east Of the Missis.
sippi river, Kansas points were given
q differential Of one cent under the
sum OF the locals via Kansas City.
This differential in favor OF Kansas
grain dealers and millers is still In
force. So that there is no longer any
reason for giving any differential rate
against Kansas City in favor Of any
Kansas point.
For many years, the millers Of the
state, and especially the millers OF
Topeka, have demanded that the rates
on wheat and flour be the same. Ac.
ccding to this demand, the railway
companies Of the state have made the
the rates on wheat and -four the same
to every point, except to local points
In the state Of Texas, where the Rail-
road Commissioners insisted that
local roads shall not join in a rate
which does not make a differential OF
five cents in favor Of wheat against
flour. This is for the purpose Of pro-
tecting the Texas millers against the
competition Of millers in other states.
Before the session OF the last legis-
lature, owing to this differential Of
five cents under Kansas City in favor
Of Topeka, on wheat, the rate on flour
into Topeka was higher than the rate
on wheat. Topeka was the only mil
ling point in the state which enjoyed
any such discriminating rates.
After the passage by the last legis-
lature Of the act iorbidding the charg-
ing of more for a short than for long
haul over the same line in the same
direction, the railway companies were
forced to take out the discriminatory
rate in favor Of Topeka, and put To-
peka on the same basis as other Kan.
sas towns.
The following table shows the rate
in cents per hundrnd pounds on wheat
on the three leading roads Of the state
touching the wheat belt and Topeka.
This table also shows the differential
rate demanded by the Topeka millers:
UNION PACIFIC.
Grainiield to Abilene, 2t8 miles, 1S4 cents. |
Grainfeld to Manhattan, zS miles, 15A cts. |
Grainneld to Topeka, $50 miles, 1s14 cents, |
asked ~ cents.
GrainAeld to Kansas City 356 miles, II cts. |
CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND a. PACIFIC.
BucklIn to Mcpherson, 100 miles, 1ss& cents. |
Bucklln to Herlngton, III miles, i5cents.
Bucklln to Topeka, s5S miles, 10 cents, asked
IL cents.
Bnckin to Kansas City, 25 miles, II cents. |
ATCHIsON, TOPEKA 4 SANTA FE.
Great Bend to Emporia, iU miles, IA cents. |
Great Bend to Usage City, 1882 miles, Ii cts
Great Bend to Topeka, 2l7 miles. 15a cents,
asked II cents
Great Bend to Kansas City, 800 miles, Is cts |
This table shows that the present
rates are fairly graduated.
From Graindeld to Abilene, dis
tance OF 1913 miles, the rate is ISL
cents; to Manhattan, 2SS miles, 153
cents; to Topeka, 2S9 miles, 16l
cents; to Kansas City, 356 miles, II
cents. And the same condition OBJ
tains on the other lines,
The Topeka millers demand that at
Topeka, instead Of l6l cents, l2 cents
be made, The rate would then stand:
From Grain6eld to Abilene, 15i
cents; to Manhattan, 153 cents; to
Topeka, 12 cents; to Kansas City II
cents.
The addition OF five cents on the
haul from Topeka to Kansas City, at
the end OF q haul Of 356 miles, cannot
be justified under any conditions or
circumstances, No such system Of
rate making is In vogue anywhere on
earth.
In addition TO thai, it will be OBJ
served that the rate from Graintield
to Topeka would be 81 cents less than
the rate to Abilene, and the rate from
Bucklin to Mcpherson, a distance OF
1870 miles, is half cent greater than
the rate would be to Topeka, dis
tance Of 25S miles.
The Railroad Commission is asked
to single out Topeka, and give it rates
which discriminate outrageously not
only against Kansas City but against
all other towns In Kansas. As a jus.
tifcatiou for this outrageous discrim-
ination, 1t is contcnded that but little
wheat Is raised In the vicinity OF To-