The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-21
FREIGHT RATES
HURT KANSAS
Latest Assault on the interior
Kansas JobberS.
MILEAGE CUTS NO FIGURE
Always a Discrimination to
Aid the Missouri Towns.
MILEAGE CUTS NO FIGURE

the recent developments:
While patience IS in many cases q
( virtue too often moderated. there is such
Z a thing as TOO much patience. especially
when dealing with a railroad. as most
any one viii admit. The freight rates
adopted BY the railroads are q rank dts
elimination against interior Kansas job
hing interests and are entirely uncalled
fer. In their recent u7anipulations had
the roads seen TT 70 accord Wichita and
other points taking the same freight rates
in southern Kansas q reduction equal 10
that extended TO points located from
fifty to seventy-five miles west OF Us, We
would have less grievance. But when
small cities located at a much greater
distance receive a reduction OF twenty
percent in their freight rates. Wichita,
a city Of 5000 inhabitants. with large
shipping interests. also Newton. Hutchin-
| son. Salina. and many other jobbing
towns OF Importance. receive TO recogni-
ton whatever. except an advance in rates
on grain and its products; II would seem
| that an evil influence has gained control
of the roads that should receive the at
tentlon Of every citizen of the state
on 2 distance basis from Kansas City.
| the rates 20 Wichita should be eighty
per cent OF those 70 Harper. and that
was the basis observed until the fourth
| OF this month. Now the rates 70 Harper
! Kingman. Anthony. Caldwell Winfield.
Arkansas City and all intermediate points
are the same as 20 Wichita in every par
I ticular- Why should our rates be as high
as those u points far beyond Us? Can
the additional haul OF seventy miles be
( performed without any additional cost?
/ The reduction IN rates 20 points beyond
as was made Voluntarily on the part OF
I the roads. and there is TO other appar-
( ent reason for it than that they were too
! high. which was no doubt the case. The
roads are TO be commended for this gen
/ erous act. which will result in an impetus
! towards development of the country fav-
orably effected. But why these rates
should not be so graded as 10 give all
/ intermediate points an equal benefit will
/ be a difficult and embarrassing question
for the roads TO answer.
What viii be done 10 remove. ard in
future 10 prevent, such unjust nanipu-
iations Of freight rates remains TO be
seen. Under present conditions what has
I been done in this instance 10 the detri-
meat OF nearly all Of the heaviest jobbing
points in the interior OF Kansas. can be
perpetrated on any other community
within the state. at the will OF the car
riers
TO show the utter inconsistency and
injustice OF the present rate basis the
implement business Of this city might
be cited as an example But few years
ago nearly al of this business was jobbed
out OF Kansas City. Our city was fortu-
rate enough TO secure 4 rate on carload
lots from the factories that enabled as 20
! compete with Kansas City. No. and the
result was that in few years nearly
every large factory IN the United States
was represented il Wichita. and some
OF the stronger ones. and also some Of our
local people constructed large buildings
through which to make distributions.
thus bringing about large real estate
investments in our city
AT our exposition last September there
were represented twelve out Of ninteen Of
the threshsr manufacturers OF the Unit
Cd States. which show how those institu-
tions were coming 10 look upon this city
as q market for their machines. At our
recent Implement mems meeting in this
city interesting and Instructive papers
. ere read il person by the highest or
Gals in many OF the largest factories IN
Illinois. Indiana Ohio. and other manu-
featuring states. All expressed grstifica-
ton al The growing Importance Of cur
city as headquarters for implements
This condition was made possible By
the favorable freight rates ~e rad Sc
cured after years of toll and expense
Now. however. the railroads have taken
steps 10 destroy this market by extend
ing these rates 10 hundreds OF points be-
yond Us. without giving rs a correspond
ing reduction which injustice We are not
entitled TO To more fully show I'd this
6iscrirnina don il MAJ be stated that the
present rate on a car OF implements from
Chicago direct % Harper. Kan. IS :.
cents The rate on this same car rom
Chicago when 5obbed through Kansas
city. Is g. cents ada VIXEN 5obbe3
through wichita IS = cents per hundred
which IS a prohibition condition 50 far
os wichita and other Kansas 5ohblnz
yoi1ts is concerned, AID ali n favor =
old Missouri.
There Is 10 cali for. and less justice n
blanket rates &c interior Kansas points
from the Missouri 20 the Mississippi
rivers. and the soverelEns % the state
should see 70 1t that none exist Each
city should satoy The advantages CT rs
natural location and 10 carrier should b.
allowed 10 deprive Il q the saue.
At present al poiats from Grsnola- II
xix county. 70 Harper. Kinguan, Hutch
insoa. Great Bend. and as fzr xes- as
Ia Cross. IN Rush county. tho class rates
from the east are The sane. regardless Z
distance
The distance from Kansas City to
Gre1ola Is - miles. - Hzrrzr. - sad
% Ia Cross. SO niles Grsaola beng
a. miles shorter haul. should pzy = pe-
cent less freight thar she does. AID wicA- !
ita should pay IS Per cert les thai she
does
'kiowa Pays from Kansas city OF arst-
class freight $ cents, and OF sugar =
cents: Anthony pays 8 cents on arst- .
class aad y cents o. sugar. whsie thu I
difference IN 6sstanc- i but = niles
Topeka. distance % Ssxty-sve miles 1
from the Missouri river. paw = ce-fz o.
{ -s.-clsss wAtse Horton. 4 sist---s = 4
"a miles from Es--ss cry. PAWS Het = 4
cez-s on re Sz-ae class and rhe hz-l Il
reaching Horton Hes through Topeka
--TooeEa 7zxs on f-SS-clzss 1r=txh, e-o-1 !
s. Louis = cents mere than Kansas !
F-sw -htsa Ez-- s--e-sx -.gles za.f j