The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-13
FIRST STEPS TAKEN
Grain Dealers. MiIIers and
Farmers Form Association
TO GET FREIGHT RATES
President, Secretary and Ex-
cutive Committee Elected

The meeting of grain dealers, millers
and farmers. held in the Board of Trade
rooms in this city yesterday. resulted
in a permanent organization to be known
as Kansas Freight Rate association. J.
A Howard was elected president and
David Keenan,, secretary, both Of this
city. The executive committee as elected
is as follows: c. Knox, Of Belle Plain;
c. n. Wooden. of Nickerson; w. c. Clark
of Sawyer; S. p. Carter. Of Wellington
and ". A. Miller Of Anthony.
The board Of trade room was we'll filed
with representive grain dealers and mil
lers- There were but few farmers pres
ent on account of the rush of farm work
but from all sections came the word that
the farmers are willing to join hands with
the grain dealers and millers TO secure
just freight rates for southern and CEN
trail Kansas. The new organization
agreed 10 conduct an aggressive cam
paign, and it was the speakers who pro-
posed to fight for justice in the matter
OF just rates. who got the applause.
The meeting was called to order by c.
J. Smiley, Of Topeka. secretary Of the
Grain Dealers association. Robert Coats
was elected temporary chairman and
E. J. Smiley temporary secretary. Mr.
Coats, on taking the chair, stated the
object of the meeting, which was to Sc
cure just freight rates to the seaboard.
He said he was glad the grain dealers
and milIers were lining up to secure just
freight rates He said H Herzer was
ton on the intelligence of the people Of
Kansas that they had so long submitted
70 this discrimination in the matter Of
feTight rates. He said II. Herzer was
first on the program to read a paper on
the subject of freight rates. Mr.. Herzer
came forward and asked the secretary
70 read his paper. which was as follows:
Gentlemen: We have met today TO
discuss the freight rate on grain and
grain products. / have taken for my
subject Have the People of Kansas Any
Rights Under the Interstate Commerce
Law. and if So. What Is Our Course?"
ITO this proposition 1 would answer
yes. Our rights are the same under this
law as they are in any other community
in this country similarly affected. Our
course is to get this proposition as clearly
and concisely as is possible before this
high tribunal TO do so, requires an eff
fort of no small import. Facts. figures
and brevity must, in a word, be the man
ner of our presentation.
First, it is urged against our city and
all shipping points in our state by the
railroads traversng this territory that
shipments are not of such vast import
ance as other great grain and product
points on their respective lines some 300
miles further east. Take. forinstance.
Kansas City, Mo. where great quantities
of grain ard product are centered BY
reason of low rates from local points
in this and surrounding states. The local
rate from any station in Kansas added
10 the through rate from Kansas City to
Galveston. is several cents less after be
ing hauled to that market and back again
over the same line. making in some cases
q hall Of 500 miles further than it would
he TO start it direct from where the grain
originated. The railroads claim that it IS
easier and cheaper TO haul trainloads
from a large grain center, like Kansas
City. than it is to gather up few cars.
at each station along the line That
method of reasoning cannot hold good.
as these local shipments are made in from
one to five cars into Kansas City and
then hauled back over the same route TO
the Gulf for less than if they were
started direct from the original elevator
TO Galveston. The grain dealers and ship
pers have watched this process of skin
ming alive until they have grown weary
and wonder if there is Balm in Gilead-
In strange contrast with the workings
of Kansas railroads let us take for illus
tration trunk line running from Chicago
a large grain market to the cities OF the
seaboard. We have the Big Four's tariff
sheet. effective May Il, 1903. The Chicago
rate on all grain and grain products to
New York city exports is 15lzc and 1Sc
on domestics. has rate to New York
of 1Hac for exports and 16Iac domestic
Nor is there any station east Of Chicago
taking a higher rate than Chicago. Chi
cago is one of the largest grain centers in
the country.
4 ask. what treatment can a small
town in Kansas expect when the four
railroads entering this city combine to ex-
tort Sc per bushel more from shippers
at this point C2S0 miles nearer 10 the Gulf
than Kansas City?
The next question: Is the state Of
Kansas in a similar condition? Kansas is
ore of the five largest grain producing
states in the United States. In 1895 and
1896 Kansas produced 22o million bushels
-. ~
other grain, and for the last eight years
the volume of products was 50 great as 70
tax the railroad companies TO their ut
most capacity To handle the business
With further reference. Kansas viii aver
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