The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-28
ITS WORK is
COMPLETED
Interstate Commerce Com
mission AdjournS Its Meeting.
OFF TO WASHINGTON
Members Were Given Drive
Over the City,
OFF TO WASHINGTON

The hearing of the Interstate Commerce
Commission in this city closed a few
rrinutes after Il O'Clock yesterday morn
ing. with the completion OF the evidence
il the case alleging determinations on
sugar from Colorado points to points in
Kansas and Missouri against Wichita and
in favor Of Kansas City and number Of
ether points in the two states mentioned
above. Only two of the commissioners
were in the room when the case was
called, Mr.. Proutt and Mr.. Yoemans leav-
ing for the east the night before. When
the case was called Mr.. Helm announced
tht the case would be conducted by Mr.
= J. Farrell, the special attorney Of the
commission, who was sent TO this city
ahead of the commission TO aid the com
piainant's attorneys to get ready for the
rearing. Mr. Farrell announced the case
about as follows: The city of Wichita.
Ter merchants and citizens believe that
the railroads deliberately and unjustly
discriminate against Wichita and in favor
Of Kansas iCty and other points, on beet
sugar from Colorado. The distance from
Sugar City. Colo, via the Missouri Paci-
fc, the attorney stated, was 40 miles
70 Wichita ana from Rocky Ford to
Wichita, the distance was 407 miles.
These are two of the principal producing
sections Of the beet sugar interests and
are reached by two separate railroads
the former by the Missouri Pacific and
the latter by the Santa Pc. The Santa
Fe road passes through Hutchinson,
Newton, and Kansas City; the Missouri
Pacific road through Newton, Wichita,
Fort Scott and St. Louis. Through the
latter points the Santa Fe has only
branch lines or connections. Under the
present adjustment of rates, Newton.
Hutchinson and Wichita pay 325k cents
yer hundred pounds for beet sugar from
Rocky Ford while the Kansas City
dealers pay Is cents per hundred pounds
for the same commodity, and Kansas
City is z25 miles farther than Wichita
Cnd $50 miles farther than Hutchinson to
the point of production.
Continuing the attorney stated that
until a few months ago, or after the fling
of the complaint, the Missouri Pacific
had reduced the rate on sugar from
Sugar City to Wichita and the other
points nearby from Bog cents per hundred
&c q cents, but a corresponding reduc-
ton was made to Kansas City and St
Louis; therefore the relative rates were
Just the same. even if there had been a
substantial reduction. Even with the
above reduction the railroads still dis /
eliminated against the three points
named and favor Kansas City and St /
Louis.
When he had finished. Mr.. Lathrop, OF
the Santa Fe announced that all of the I
above statements regarding distance and /
rates were correct and the railroads adj /
nitted these facts, but denied that they /
Disseminated in favor of any point
Frank g Wood. of the Jett & Wood /
Wholesale Grocery company. was the first /
witness called to the stand by the COM
plainants Under examination by Mr.. /
Farrell the witness stated that his firm /
handled sugar in large quantities and also 1
a general line of groceries in the original
package. The business Of this firm was
about three-fourths of a million dollars
Annually They did business in this city,
as far east as Eureka. sixty miles; south
about 115 miles. southwest about 300 miles
and west about 100 miles and northwest
q miles. The witness believed that the
Wichita wholesale grocery houses were
Disseminated against because they could
not successfully compete with Kansas
City houses outside radius Of probably
fifty miles from Wichita The Wichita
merchants have to pay ~ cents per
hundred higher rate than the Kansas
City merchants on sugar from Sugar
City The Kansas City merchants paid
e cents per hundred pounds from Kansas
City TO Wichita in less than car lots and
Il cents per hundred in carload lots
In some parts of the territory given
shove the witness stated that neither city
had the advantage, especially west Of
Wichita, as the higher rates on SUGAR
from the points of origin to Wichita and
the lower rates out of Kansas CITY
allowed the latter merchants TO yet into
territory that naturally belonged to Nich-
ita. I
Under examination Of Mr.. Knapp the
witness stated that the Kansas city mer-
chant got his sugar for X cents per hun
cred pounds less than the Wichita man ]
ard by combination Of local rates was !
able TO sell his sugar TO the retailer in Z
this territory as cheap or cheaper there
than the Wichita man $
The witness further stated that most
o The sugar consumed in this section
Genes from the west but owing to con
oiuons at the present time the sugar
comes from the east. but in few weeks
me sugar VIII again be coming from
Colorado, as soon as the renneries set
60 work a
Mr.. Wood further stated that the rate :
OF sugar from California was Is cents
s