The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-04
COMMITTEE Of IS
IS APPOINTED
Enthusiastic Meeting Is Held
at Garfield.
AND LARGELY ATTENDED
Active Steps Are Taken in
Freight Rate Problem.

Five hundred representative business
men, grain men. manufacturers and in
fact men representing every business in
dustry situated in Wichita, industries that
are affected on account of the present
freight rates that are effective on COM
modities coming in and going out of the
city. met last night at Garfield hall and
appointed a committee Of 10 who will in
Vestigate the matter thoroughly and viii
form some plan that viii govern the ac-
tons Of the citizens of Wichita in their
eiideavor to secure relief from the present
alleged discrimination in the matter of
freight rates. This committee will report
10 the mayor after arriving at their con-
clusion, who will call another public meet
ing at which time definite action viii be
taken in the matter.
The meeting last night was one of the
most enthusiastic and still the most con-
SENTATIVE one ever held in Wichita. The
assemblage contained the most prominent
business men of the city, men who were
there for business. and the matter was
taken up and discussed in a business
manner. From the sentiment shown in
the speeches last night private interests
of the different branches of business in
terests will not be allowed to conflict and
the present campaign that will be mapped
whatever it may be, will be supported by
the united business interests Of the city.
each class of industry and business will
take part in the matter and will con-
tribute toward the financial end of the
proposition. 1t was the opinion among
those present that the time has come for
the city and the state to make a stand
I'm this matter, and this will now be done
And the campaign will be carried to
the bitter end as one Of the speakers
declared last night. ito the highest court
that has jurisdiction in the land"
The meeting was called to order at S:15
by Mayor Mclean. The meeting was or
ganized by electing j. H. Stewart as
chairman and F. w. Frasius as secre-
tary. The chairman in few brief words
stated the purpose Of the meeting
Judge Haymaker suggested that it would
tie well TO hear from persons who were
posted in the matter so that facts could
be obtained and that some conclusion
might possibly be reached from them
which would govern the future actions
of the citizens Judge S. s. Ashbaugh
was the nrst speaker and he gave a his
tory of the freight rate cases. telling
what had been accomplished and gave
the present status of affairs. His talk
was interesting in the course of which
he gave very lucid explanation of why
the present high freight rates prevailed
in this city and throughout the state He
says his information is obtained from
the testimony of three traffic managers
of the three railroads al the hearing be-
fore the commerce commission. He says
that the railroads in Kansas built out
ahead of CIVILIZATION or ahead of the
towns into the unsettled countrysslnd then
put the rate as high as they thought the
traffic would move over it. He said that
this had been done in other states but
when the country became settled and the
traffic became so much larger the people
of those states raised Il kick and followed
II up with Il determined fight and the
rates had been lowered in all of the states
but in Kansas. Figures were cited that
showed that Kansas with the exception of
Illinois exceeds all other states in the
middle west in its wheat production. He
closed by saying that the conclusions of
law. of the commission. were not sustain
ed by the conclusions of fact, and that
while the facts We're al in the citys favor
the conclusions of law were Just to the
contrary.
f. w. Frasius was the next speaker and
he presented the matter in a way that
opened the eyes of those present. He
cited several rates which seemed to make
an impression with the audience He
says that the rate from Clay Center to
Kansas City on wheat is l2Ie cents. while
i'm the state of Illinois the rate over the
same road for the same distance is five
cents. He discussed the competition the
DRY of the commission at Length. and QUOT
ed some rstes that certain places have at
a point more distant from Galveston than
Wichita and where there is only one rail-
road, the same that runs through this
city. The decision of the commission was
that the competitive conditions existing
at Kansas CITY are the cause of the low
rates at that city Horton and Pawhatten
situated IN the Rock Island. about 800
miles north Of Wichita, and with only
one railroad. enjoy a % and II cent rate
respectively and the only competition that
the speaker could find at these places
was wagon road. He closed by saying
that the state railroad bill was unfavora-
bic to tho people Of the state and he advo-
Gated the idea OF drawing UP a state rail
road bill 10 which the members of the
next legislature must pledge themselves
This must be done outside of the legis-
nature because the railroad attorneys and
their satellites are there so thick that no
bill can be drawn up that does not favor
the railroad companies and the stencil OF
the rottenness that exists i'm Topeka at
the time the legislature is il session arises /
in such volumes heavenward that the man
In the moon has IN hold mis- nose" said
Mr. Frasius. Several speeches were made .
along the same lines The following reso-
lutions~were offered and adopted:
Whereas, The people of Wichita and VI
cinity are deeply impressed with a sense