The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-09
SUGAR RATES
TO WICHITA
Lowered 7 IL cts. per Hun
dred by Two Railroads.
RESULT OF ARGUMENTS
Of City Attorney Before
Interstate Commerce.

The city has won one of the cases be-
fore the interstate commerce commission.
The commission have not handed down
their decision, but the railroads have
granted everything asked for by the
city's attorneys from the commission in
the sugar case. The statement in the
brief of argument filed before the COM
mission is as follows: THAT in case 629
the rates on sugar from Rocky Ford and
Sugar City to Wichita should not be in
excess of the rates charged from those
points to Kansas City
The rate on sugar from Sugar City and
Rocky Ford, Colo, TO Kansas City for
years has been % cents per 100 pounds,
and from the same points to Wichita the
rate was 321s cents per hundred, diff
ference in favor of Kansas City of IL
cents per hundred. Kansas City is 22s
miles farther than Wichita from Sugar
City and Rocky Ford yet the rate Is ~
cents lower to the farther point. The
city's attorneys claimed this should not
be and offered proof of their statements.
watch the railroads could not answer be-
fore the commission.
Kansas City and Wichita both enjoy
jobbers' rates out Of Wichita. On sugar
from Kansas City to Wichita and points
near by the rate is 20 cents per hundred
pounds in less than car load lots, and
little figuring shows that Wichita was
limited in its distribution of sugar to
points wholly within Sedgwick county,
with the exception OF wellington, in
Sumner county. The entire territory
which Wichita could cover with the rates
IN force would not consume more than
two cars of sugar per town per year
Wichita jobbers paid 32i5 cents per
hundred pounds in car lots from Colorado
points The jobbers rate from Wichita
to Kingman is II cents. If the Kingman
merchant purchased his sugar in Wich-
Eta he had to pay a rate equal to 46R
cents per hundred. The rate into Kansas
City was % cents per hundred and to
Kingman 20 cents per hundred. This
combination made the sugar cost Do
cents per hundred from Kansas City.
giving the Kansas City merchant an ad-
vantage of III cents per hundred.
The rate from Wichita to Rago and
Harper is Is cents per hundred, and here
the Kansas City man had the advantage
by 212 cents per hundred.
The rate from Wichita TO Wellington
Is 12 cents per hundred. which gives
Wichita an advantage of " cent over
Kansas City.
The trade Of Wichita in sugar was
limited to Garden Plain Sedgwick, Peck
and Augusta. with the exception of Well
ington and intermediate points.
One can readily see what a hardship
this made on the Wichita jobbers and
why they could not handle sugar profit
ably. as they had no territory except
Sedgwick county.
Mr.. Ashbaugh who had charge Of this
case before the commission. submitted
these figures to the members and argued
the case on these facts, and that when
the jobbing rate on sugar out of Wichita
exceeded l2l2 cents per hundred pounds
the Wichita jobbers could not hope to
compete with Kansas City. The railroad
mers before the commission were forced
10 acknowledge that the statements were
true from their own tariff sheets and
that it was working hardship on Wich-
tia jobbers.
Mr.. Ashbaugh placed the matter before
the commissioners in such manner that
they fully understood the rates and con-
ditions. Immediately after the hearing
in this city last September the Missouri
Pacific railroad changed its rate to %
cents per hundred to Wichita. the same
as the rate to Kansas City. The com
panys officials saw the discrimination
and Immediately took steps to remedy
it. Under the new rate the rate to King
man is SO cents per hundred, to Harper
40 cents. to Wellington 81 cents. and to
other points Wichita secures her rightful
advantage by location over Kansas City.
The Santa Fe held out on the old rate
until Monday. In their briefs submitted
on the first of April they refused to az
cede that Wichita was right in the claim
but six days after filing this brief the
new tariff sheets were issued making the
rate on sugar % cents from Rocky Ford
10 Wichita.
The attorneys for Wichita claimed that
this city should enjoy a considerably
lower rate than Kansas City. but all
they asked for was that the rate on
sugar from Colorado to Wichita should
not exceed the rate to Kansas City.
They asked the commission for a judg-
ment to this effect. but the railroads did
not wait for the decision. but granted |
the rate. This is one of the things the
hearing of the interstate commerce COM
mission did for Wichita. For years the |
1obbers have been trying to secure a re-
duction in sugar rates and it was only
after the suits were filed with the com
mission that the rate on sugar was made
reasonable.