The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-08
Charged That Interstate Com
merce Law Is Violated.
Claimed That Kansas Farmers
Pay Excessive Freight Rates.
GRAIN TARIFF HIGH.
Nebraska Rate to Galveston Less
Than From Kansas.
Comes Out of Pocket of the
Grain Raisers.

The Southwestern Grain Journal
published at Topeka, is making a fight
against the alleged discrimination in
rates for shipments of grain from Ne
braska, Kansas and Oklahoma to Gal
weston. It charges the blame to the in
terstate commerce commission, and
holds the Kansas congressional delega-
ton responsible for the neglect of the
commission. The Southwestern Grain
Journal says in its last issue:
The Southwestern Grain Journal
hereby serves notice upon United States
Senators Burton and Long, and Con-
gressmen Curtis, Miller, Scott, Camp
bell, Calderhead, Reeder, Murdoch and
Bowersock of Kansas, and Congress
man Mcguire of Oklahoma, that the
railroads of Kansas and Oklahoma are
continually violating both the spirit and
letter of the interstate commerce law
The people are tired of this kind of
anarchy and expect the gentlemen men
toned above Will interest themselves to
obtain relief Each OF these gentlemen
will from now on, receive, compliment
tary, copy of each issue of the South
western Grain Journal, so that he can
not hereafter claim lack of knowledge
upon the subject. The southwest must
have relief The fight is onl
Much is claimed for the interstate
of no benefit whatever to the southwest.
The railroads are running things with
high hand, and the people stand it with
out murmur. On grain shipments
alone, according to Mr.. Hackney, an
eminent Topeka authority. more than
seven millions are fched from the Kan
sas farmers annually, and no attention
is paid to the law by the corporations.
The long and short haul clause of
the law is violated daily and nothing
sc l1s,a oh 2 l..
follows:
" Section 4 That it shall be unlawful
for any common carrier subject to the
provision of this act to charge or receive
any greater compensation in the aggre-
gate for the transportation OF passen-
gers or property, under substantially
similar circumstances and conditions,
for a shorter than a longer distance
over the same line. in the same direc-
ton, the shorter being included in the
longer distance. but this shall not be
construed as authorizing any common
carrier within the terms of this act, to
charge and receive as great compensa-
ton for a shorter as for a longer dis
lance: Provided, however, that upon
application to the commission appoint
ed under the provisions of this act such
common carrier may. in special cases,
after investigation by the commission.
! be allowed TO charge less Tor longer than
/ for shorter distances for the trans porta-
! ton of passengers or property; and the
/ commission may from time to time pre-
scribe the extent to which such desig-
mated common carrier may be relieved
from this section of this act
1T will be readily seen that the Ne
braska farmer has a great advantage
over the Kansas farmer and even the
Iowa farmer may ship his wheat from
Omaha at 915 cents less per hundred
/ pounds than can the southern Kansas
or Oklahoma farmer from 400 to 900
miles nearer the gulf. Farmers in
western Missouri can ship their wheat