The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-12
SHIPPERS ARE INTERESTED.
In Outcome OF Plan to Have hold
Tracks


Shippers of grain in Wichita are taking
q keen interest in the outcome Of the
request of the Kansas City board Of
trade made 80 the Kansas railroad COM
mission in Topeka yesterday providing for
the adoption Of a rule requiring the rail-
roads entering Kansas City from the
west to designate a hold track, where
grain cars shall be concentrated to await
the state grain inspectors. The shippers
will be interested in the matter because
of the fact that the adoption of such a
rule would relieve them OF car service
charges and insure them against ong de-
LAYS in the railroad yards, which often
means heavy loss because Of the huc-
tuating markets The rule Will provide,
in the event of its adoption, that the rail-
roads must designate track as z mold
track. on which cars must be placed. ana
II not placed on such track the roads
will have no right to charge demurrage-
The rule which the members OF the Kan
sas City board Of trade want adopted IS
similar to that adopted by the Missouri
railroad commission.
The matter was laid before the railroad
commissioners yesterday by }. W. Rad
ford. state grain inspector; ". j. Def
fenbaugh. and A. J. Poor, members OF
the Kansas City board Of trade; g. {.
Carkeuer. chairman Of the transportation
committee OF the board of trade, and +.
J. Smiley of Topeka, secretary Of the
State Grain Dealers association. The
gentlemen presented their case to the
commissioners. bet no action was taken.
The adoption of the rule. those inter
ested state, viii be of great benefit To
the farmers materially reducing their
shipping expenses. 1t would also render
the work of the grain inspector less
arduous and enable him to inspect the
care OF grain on the same day they
were placed on the hold track. The
system now in vogue by the railroads re-
suits in the cars being scattered all over
the yards. and it is frequently the case
that they remain in such a scattered ana
mixed up manner for ten days before the
Inspector can locate them. thus entailing
q loss TO the shipper in demurrage and
u greater loss sometimes by the fuctu-
eting markets. J. w. Radford, state
grain Inspector, said yesterday:
1t is not an infrequent thing for cars
of grain to stand in the yards for ten
or fifteen days before they are found and
inspected. and then it may be equally as
long time before they are moved TO the
elevators and unloaded. If the railroads
are required to designate a hold track.
there viii be no difficulty experienced
in locating the cars and the inspection
will not be delayed. This would prevent
q congestion OF cars in the yards and
would prove 4 great advantage. In case
the tracks are full, it Will devolve upon
the railroads to move the cars or keep
theme there without expense TO the ship
pers. who, under the present rule. are
paying the railroads for their lack Of
facilities -
It is said the railroads have violated
the Missouri rule, but the Kansas City
dealers believe with q similar rule in
Kansas they will have the railroads
hedged ia on either side, thus giving them
strength in their fight to resist the car
saf.srfe. charges