The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-05
WICHITA WINS OUT
Decision of Interstate Com
MERGE Com. Received
ROADS CONCEDED POINT
They Interpreted the Hand
Writing on the Wall

A. E. Helm, ex-city attorney, has re
ceived the official report of the Inter,
state Commerce commissioners in the
sugar case brought by the city Of Wichita
against the railroads running into this
city. While the commissioners simply dis
missed the case because the railroads had
corrected the abuses complained of the
people of this city viii indorse the action
of the city administration when they fully
understand what has been accomplished.
This case was brought by a. E. Helm
when city attorney and the city employed
George Adams and Judge Ashbaugh to
assist him. Two or three trips had to be
made to Washington in the prosecution
Of the case and all told the city Of Wichita
is out a little over $1,000 for attorney 3
fees and travelling expenses. In order to
fully understand what has been accom-
plished statement of the conditions that
existed before the bringing OF this case
Will have to be made.
In May. 1902 the rates on sugar from
Sugar City and Rocky Ford, Colo, were
as follows: To Kansas City, q cents per
hundred pounds; to Wichita and Hutchin-
Eon. By cents; Fort Scott, q cents. and to
St Louis 80 cents. In june of the same
year the rates were changed TO 20 cents
TO Kansas City, 27lz cents to Wichita and
Hutchinson % cents to Fort Scott and
the 30 cents to St. Louis remained in
force. November Il, 1902. the rates were
again changed TO 20 cents to Kansas City.
nd
cents and st. Louis held the old rate Of
80 cents. In January. 1903 there was an
other change and this time the rates to
Kansas City, Wichita and Hutchinson
were % cents, Fort Scott q cents and st.
, Louis 30 cents. The railroads changed the
rates whenever they took a notion, but
finally settled down to 25 cent rate TO
Kansas City, 321k cents to Wichita and
Hutchinson and 80 cents to ST. Louis.
The last statement above was the condi-
ton Of affairs at the time the proceed
ings were commenced by this city before
the Interstate Commerce commission.
Anybody Of ordinary business sagacity
can see the position in which this city
was placed as a wholessIing center. There
might be less grounds for complaint if
salers the same rates on sugar from Colo
RADIO points as Kansas City, but when
they came to charge Wichita 3214 cents
and haul 1t right past Wichita TO Kansas
City for p cents that was large enough
straw to break the back of any docile
beast of burden. Instead Of letting the
Wholesalers of this city shoulder the fight
themselves by the action of the admin
istrat!on. the people of Wichita made it
their fight
When Wichitas attorneys went before
the commission in Washington to argue
that case they were confronted by an
other proposition beside the above In
their argument before the commission
they told that august body that Kansas
City was given a blanket rate into Wichi-
ta's territory that gave them another
advantage. This blanket rate on sugar
was 20 cents per hundred pounds from
Kansas City in less than car load lots to
all the towns in Wichitas territory.
The commission asked the attorneys to
be definite and tell how that injured the
Wichita merchant. They were loaded for
Just such proposition as that, and they