The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-21
TIME FOR ACTION.


The most serious blow which the city
of Topeka has received in it's efforts
to build up business and manufac-
turing center is the decision of the Otto
Kuehne Picking and Preserving works
to move from Topeka to Kansas City.
The reason given by Mr.. Kuehne is
discrimination in railroad rates making
it impossible for him to do business
here.
The Commercial club of the city OF
Topeka never had a more important
question to handle than this one There
should be immediate action; a meeting
called without delay and an under
standing with the railroads to ascertain
whether they mean to drive our manu-
featuring interests out of the capital
city into Missouri.
This question is a vital one to the
commercial interests of Topeka II Otto
Kuehne after 20 years experience in
trying to build up a manufacturing con-
Germ in Topeka has become convinced
after long struggle that it is useless
to continue the effort, what induce
ments can the city of Topeka offer,
establishment of new industries? If old
manufacturing concerns cannot live,
what can we say to new ones which
we have hoped to see established here.
If the city of Topeka is simply to be
a suburb of Kansas City, let us find
it out now. The railroads derive their
revenues from this state They haul
our cattle, wheat, corn, fruits and vege-
tables to Kansas City, there to be pre-
pared for market. They make such dis
ordinations in freights that our home
manufacturers say they cannot handle
the product but must move their plants
and people to Missouri for the purpose
of working up our own productions.
Realizing the injustice toward Topeka,
the railroads in some cases will make
rebate or differentia1 on outgoing ship
ments. Mr.. Kuehne claims changes
have been made in the freight tariffs
SO that he is deprived of these benefits.
If our railroad board of commissioners
was of any value it would not permit
the Industries of the state to collapse
into the arms Of Kansas City, Mo-
1t is time for the Commercial club of
Topeka to find out whether we can Sc
cure justice along these lines.
The city Of Topeka recently encour-
aged the entrance into the city of an
electric railway line from Kansas City.
The next move is to get the institutions
of Topeka over into Missouri so that the
people here will have additional reasons
for trading away from town.
This paper is not familiar with the
exact discrimina lions under which Mr..
kuehne suffers, but it knows there are
other institutions here HANDICAPPED by
reason Of unjust freight rates. For
distance of six hundred miles the news
papers of Topeka pay on their raw ma
terial a rate of twenty-seven cents per
hundred pounds to the Missouri river.
For the additional fifty miles to Topeka.
and that is the distance of the nearest
Missouri river point, they must pay
twelve cents per hundred pounds addi-l
tional, although the paper come in the
same car from the initial point of ship
ment and be hauled by the same rail-
road company through Missouri and
across the Missouri river into the To-
peka freight yards. In other words, for
one-twelfth of the distance we pay near
ly one half or forty-five per cent of the
freight
This is one illustration Of the competition
the Kansas newspapers give the Topeka
newspapers. We don't get any rebate or
differential, either. This seems to be the
kind Of business which has made Otto
Kuehne tired. The railroads In Nebras-
ka give no such unfair treatment to the
city Of Lincoln which is similarly situated
with reference to the Missouri river. Why
should the railroad companies not treat
Topeka as they treat Lincoln? Topeka
asks only for justice and the railroad COM
panies should give 1t to US.
t. xf-r
club to find out, and find out quickly, why
Otto Kuehne, with the institution he has
built up here, should be driven out of the
city on account of freight discrimination.
If we can help Otto Kuehne to stay here,
we should do 1t Immediately. and we will
not only help him, but every other similar
industry here now, or that we may hope
for in the future
If we do not help him, let US stand hui
INFLATED.
On July the bureau Of forestry be-