The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-24
ACT As ONE MAN
Topeka Shippers viii Try for
Better Freight Rates.
Plans for Concerted Action Are
Under Way.
TO SECURE PLEDGES.
Committee of Five viii Canvass
the Field.
Business Men Discuss the
Freight Rate Situation.
TO SECURE PLEDGES.

Topeka business men are formulating
plans with a view to prevent the dis
elimination in rates which the railroads
entering this city have made against
our shippers, and the traffic in and out
of Topeka be handled at rates in proper
ton to Missouri river figures.
! At a meeting of the directors, the
transportation committee and a special
committee Of the Commercial club
Thursday evening. President John e,
Frost was authorized to appoint COM
mittee of five who will canvass the ship
pers and secure from them pledges to
act N a concerted way to the end de-
sired. This will probably result either
in the pooling Of shipping interests or
in the appointment of a man possessing
an expert knowledge of railroad freight
rates who shall look after their inter-
ests.
This action came after a general dis
cussion of more than an hour, during
WHICH nearly every member of the COM
mittee gave expression to his views and
experience on the rate situation in this
city. Directly the move was brought
about by a report of a special commit
tee which was appointed last summer to
secure if possible for Otto Kuehne, the
serving works, the railroad rates which
he asked. That committee was COM
posed Of F. P. MacLennan, Dell Keller
and w S. Bergundthal. Mr. MacLennan
gave the report, feCOunI10S now InaI the
committee had met the freight repre-
sentatives of the Santa F'e and Rock
Island roads. The Santa Fe people re-
ferred them to the Rock Island. since
most of the Kuehne business was trans
acted ever that line.
The Rock Island assistant general
freight agent consulted with Mr.
Kuehne and assured the committee that
in the main. it was believed MIR.
Kuehne's grievances as to rates would
be adjusted ir a satisfactory manner.
Mr.. Kuehne. however said he had al
ready almost decided to move to Kansas
City.
Yesterday it was reported that Mr.
Kuehne would keep his plant here but
reduce the force and build new and
larger works at Kansas City where it
was understood a number of smaller in
situations of the same character were to
be consolidated with Otto kuehne as
president and having a capital stock of
$500 600 When asked about this this
morning, Mr. Kuehne denied to a re-
porter that the plans had been carried
so far as that hut 1t is evident that this
is a part of the consideration in mind.
He. however, refused to say positively
that he had determined TO move the
works to Kansas Citv. It is probable
that if part of the plant IS taken away,
a portion of it may still be retained in
this city--perhapS employing one-thfrd
as many men as at present. Mr.. Mac
Lehman showed the unjust treatment of
Topeka by the railroads upon shipments
Of paper: from the mills in Wisconsin
/ to Kansas City the rate was p cents,
while from Kansas City to Topeka,
about one-twelfth the distance, instead
of being pro rata it was II cents, or
about As Der cent that charged for the
1 longer distance.
Thomas Page and Herbert Hackney
heads of two great Touring mills OF
Topeka, spoke with fervor number of
times TO the members of the committee.
Each showed by figures the injustice
which is being dealt out to Topeka and
Kansas bv the railroads of the state.
( IF the people of Kansas knew said
/ Mr. Page 1.-The rates of the railroads
in this state thare would be such a
revolution that the Populist movement
of eight years go would not be cir
cumstance as compared with it. 1t is
a waste of time" he continued. to go
near the railroads. What thew want il
heroic treatment Get a man who knows
something about freight rates and let
him meet them on their own ground
He said through restrictions and rules
in force on the railroads it was peril
Gus to stop load of wheat in Topeka
The rate for wheat said he from Salina
to topeka is Is cents hundred. while
from <arsas City to Chicago it IS only
4 little more than cents. and only 70
| cents from Kansas City to London. MI
/ Page recOunted low that a few years
ago a mill was buile at the town of
Bunker Hill away from the railroad
AfterWard its owner asked the Union
Pacific to build a side-track to it and
even carried bis case before the rail
road commissioners of the state. But
| they were so dominated by the rail-
roads that that body turned down the
request and decided that the railroad
was not obliged to build the siding
Last year while in Glasgow, Scotland,
Mr. Page saw flour selling for Is cents a
barrel less than he could furnish it in
Topeka. In previous years he had built
up a good business in parts of Europe.
but the discrimina ton against him in
freight rates had been the means of ru-
lining it. I'VE appeared before M A
Low of the Rock Island" he went on,
and asked him that for the sake of the
| Republican party good men be APP
pointed on board of railroad commits
sioners He answered US that he was
Rock Island man first and a Republican
I afterw ard" Mr.. Page said that he had
gone to the railroad officials times with
out number and asked for fair treat
ment in the matter OF charges on
freight shipments, but that in each case
he had been given no satisfaction; sew
eral times the attitude of the railroad
men toward him had been supefcii1ous-
Mr.. Hackney related that his reception
ny the railroad people had been trlgld.
He referred to the removal of the i've
cent djfferential a year and half ago.
and commented upon the loss which 1t
entailed upon the millers Of the state.
The rate on freight" he said, from
Hutchinson to Kansas City, distance
of 222 miles is 151k cents a hundred;
While from Kansas City to Chicago, a
distance Of AS miles. the charge is be
tween and cents a pound. although
in the tariff schedules it is usually
printed as l. cents. Then there is a diff
ference in altitude which the railroads
cannot get around: The elevation Of
Hutchinson IS about l, 5s5 feet above the
sea level: OF Kansas City $50 feet. and
OF Chicago, $50 feet. So that there can
be no excuse for it being an uphill
9ull.''
Mr.. Hackney scored the board of rail-
road commissioners as being only part
OF political machine He said that
John Seaton. chairman Of the railroads
committee n TIE state 7ouse. had told
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