Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-09
RAILROAD MEN
PLACED ON RACK

Kansas City, Mo-, Jan, 9.--The Inter-
State commerce committee whose
members arrived on an early train from
Chicago began its investigation Of
eastbound grain rates from Kansas
City this forenoon. The investigation
will, It Is believed, be confined to look
ing into the charge that freight rates
on grain and grain products from vest
ern points to the Atlantic seaboard are
being cut in violation Of the TARIFF.
w. p. Trckett, head Of the Kansas
City Transportation bureau. the first
witness said the arbitrary proportional
and diferential grain rates as they obs
tain on goods shipped from Kansas
City east place Kansas City at dis,
advantage, He said that the through
grain lines, which We're the Santa Re,
Missouri Pacific and Rock island each
had special grain representatives In the
person Of certain grain firms ana that
these firms could afford to pay n higher
rate than other grain men, as they un-
doubtedly receive concessions from the
railroads. Such a system, he said, had
been In vogue since about 1896 and Il
had destroyed competition This he at
tempted TO show by saying tina, In 1895
the Kansas City, market handled 5l.4
per cent of the Kansas wheat crop.
while In lSy6 II had handled but Is A per
cent despite the fact that the 1896 crop
was the larger Of the two The receipts
had decreased since the operation of the
larger firms on the through lines.
ITheir operations became apparent after
the establishment of proportional grain
rates ON all lines except the Union Pa
clhc.
J. A. Robinson of Hall and Robinson.
grain commission merchants, which
firm Mr.. Trickett had testified was the
representative here of the Missouri Pa
cine railroad, was questioned closely
as TO the records of business between
his firm and the Missouri Pacific rail-
way, but would not admit that there
were any such records available. While
other firms than his had elevators along
the line of the Missouri Pacific he adj
mitted that they did not do an export
business and said that his firm ex-
perienced practically no competition
from them His firm had never, no de-
clared, received money for rebates or
as concession from the railroad or
from any other source, directly or lndi-
rectly during the past three years. His
firm, he said, held definite and not an
elastic rate with the Missouri Pac'fc,
Mr., Robinson, admitted, however,
that w. G. Stith freight traffic man
ager of the Missouri Pacific made him
a private rate on export grain to New
orleans from to 8 cents lower than
the published export tariff.
Oliver Denton, a grain commission
merchant of Leavenworth Kansas,
would st admit that he was the coun
try representative of the Missouri Pa.
cific. His firm he said, had never re-
celyed money rebates and other con-
cessions from the railroad, directly or
Indirectly,
FIRES Hoose, local representative OF !
Richardson & Company OF Chicago, /
was the next witness Mr. Trickett had |
testified that this firm was the repre- |
sentative Of the Santa Fe railway aud |
Mr.. HoOse was asked II there were q /
fact. lie declared he did not know on /
have any Intimation OF any arrange
ment by which his firm received any |
special advantage or concession from !
that railway, he admitted tha; II two |
million bushels Of grain handled By his /
firm in Kansas City during the past |
year. the Santa Fe received all but 25Q,- |
900 bushels But this was simply be- |
cause the Santa Fe ran through better
grain country.