The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-13
FIRST STEPS TAKEN
fcontinued from Fifth Page.)

distance over the shortest line is PAS
miles. the distance from Hutchinson 10
Kansas City is I'D miles; the down-grade
from Hutchinson TO Kansas City aver
ages S5a feet per mile; the down-grade
! from Kansas City to Chicago averages
one-third of one foot per mile. Both Of
these figures are approximate within one
or two hundredths OF a foot per- mile. 1t
does not take a very massive intellect
appreciate the fact that cars run easier
| on the down-grade than on the level, but
the present rate from Kansas City to
Chicago is 14c. Figuring the freight in
Kansas on a basis Of 14c from Kansas
City 10 Chicago taking the very shortest
mileage from Kansas City to Chicago
Cand the average is very much more than
the shortest), and taking the very short
est mileage from Hutchinson to Kansas
CITY. it still shows as I have figured it.
over seven million dollars too much taken
out of the state
IF this money can be saved to the
state. which it certainly can if the voters
will hold together, ii will take but a short
time until they could own first class
trunk line as far as Chicago, with
branches all over Kansas. and without
costing the state anything except what
/ they are now paying as excess freight
into the Golfers of railroads, which they
distribute to Wall Street and Europe. The
farmers would in effect be paying the
same rates as they are now. But the ac-
cumuIated fund would soon build rail-
roads enough to haul all of Kansas pro-
ducts to all the markets of the world
fna
cost of plant. merely the operating ex-
penses.
When a man figures this out and gives
it few moments thought, it simply
astounds him and no community in the
world would submit to this with the
docility that Kansas producers have
submitted to it.
This should be the question before the
voters at the next election the one
following. At the next election the ship
pers of the state should see to it that the
railroad commissioners are named by the
people and not by any political gang
Let the politicians have all the positions
in which there is any money and in the
way of compensation, but let the people
control the railroad board. and every
candidate for the legislature sho
forced to pledge himself in writing before
he is named. promising to make this
freight rate question the important Ques-
ton at this next session, and no man
should be allowed to go to the legislature
before he so promises.
"The railroads should have fair treat
ment and they should not require any
thing more and the railroad commission
ers should be men of broad enough intel
lect and absolutely free from political
bias, so that they can perform the duties
of their high office satisfactorily 70 the
people without running or In any way
injuring the railroad companies. There is
such a large margin Of difference that
compromise should be effected and reduce
the rate say ) C per hundred, and let the
railroads have five or six years before
the balance of the excess is taken away
from them.
There is no subject before the people
of Kansas which in any way approaches
this matter of freight rates as relating TO
the general welfare of the state. To the
millers of the state, it makes very little
difference what the freight rates are. pro-
vided the rates on wheat and -four are
the same, and the rates are not SO high
as to discourage the growing wheat in
the state.
Corn is covered by the same line Of
argument except that more corn is fed
to hogs and cattle. but then the rates
have to be paid on hogs and cattle
THE time has long since departed since
the railroads had to make ali their earn
ings out of the eastbound business. Cars
going west are largely loaded with com
modities which pay even a higher rate
than the rates on grain.
This can do nothing that will rebound
to its credit more than the agitation Of
this question of rates and each of your
members ought to pledge himself to de-
vote some of hsi time to the conventions
! in his locality and to see that before a
candidate has any assurance of votes,
that he should pledge himself and sign
his name, saying just what he will do.
if elected, on the freight rate situation.
Seven million dollars a year would
soon cover the state of Kansas with
highways which would be almost as good
as the boulevards of Chicago and other
large cities (and it would be like the
boulevards falling from heaven in a COM
pleted condition for use, because the far
ners would simply put money into boule-
wards or highways that is now being put
into the pockets OF the railroads), until
the state would be IN such shape that il
would be a pleasure TO live anywhere in
Kansas.
1T would be like the shippers Of Kan
sas finding the money 10 build their good
roads. and yet, this would work no hard
shin on the railroads at all. because they
are now getting rates which they have
no right to expect and which they should
not be getting"
After the reading of the above papers
there was a general discussion OF the
subject. Mr Carter OF Carter q Moody
of wellington. said the farmers Of Sum-
ner county were paving 100000 every
year on account of this freight discrimin-
alton but what he wanted 10 know was.
What are We going TO do about it2 That
is the question TO be answered here to-
day
W w Miller Of Anthony said the farm
ers. needed to be aroused On this matter.
He thought the country merchants ard
banks ought to try 10 interest the farm
ers in this matter. He wanted Il under
/ stood that the grain dealers took OF the
freight when they bought the farmers