The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-22
FREIGHT MATTERS.

~ L. w dlk-I ant the Ol1SI UISLlOCiS
of the railroad companies board Of
commissioners are still busy over what
is known as the Berryton case. The
board has been busy on this case.
which involves a depot building at a
little hamlet, for several years. 1t is
now in the district court. If the board
can keep this going while longer and
put it uD to the supreme court and
then I'D to the United States. the at
tention of the public may be diverted
from such conditions as the following:
Kansas City pays 80 cents per ton
for coal from Pittsburg, Kas. Topeka,
four miles nearer by the official dis
lance tariff. pays $40 per ton.
Looking in the other direction, To-
peka, "a miles from the Usage City coal
fields, pays so cents per ton, while Kan
sas City, nearly three times as far,
pays only IS cents per ton.
Here is the table and we challenge
the railroads to dispute the figures. or
defend their discrimination or show
that the word extortion is not proper:
Pittsburg, Kas.. to Topeka, III miles,
81. 40 Ger ton.
Pittsburg, Kas.. to Kansas City, 1s1
miles, so cents per ton.
E1ltSDufSg haS., 10 AtCnlSOnp 20
miles, $1.00 per ton.
Pittsburg. Kas.. to st. Joseph, 246
miles, $1-10 per ton.
Usage City. Kas.. to Topeka, "a
miles. SO cents per ton.
Usage City. Kas., to Kansas City,
80 miles. IS cents per ton.
Still we permit railroad companies to do
this thing Other states will not stand it.
Kansas Is easy. Still dear people
want A. d. Walker for railroad commits
sioner. His own community repudiates
gether and only favorable to railroads,
but Republicans swallowed him at Wich-
tia.
A few days ago Wichita made a big
fuss because the railroads were charg
ing her 2S12 cents per hundred pounds
for hauling lumber from Texas, when
they hauled it right on through Wich-
tia to Topeka and only charged US 26
cents. (The roads will haul it on to
Kansas City and only charge % centsD
Wichita rebelled and on February
18th, no reason being forthcoming why
should pay more than Topeka.
she was given the rs cents rate. Rail
roads now get busy again. Topeka
was asleep, and is still asleep, favoring
and submitting to A. D. Walker and
all this railroad extortion-that's the
word, it fits. The point was made
Wichita must not pay more than To-
peka. Well, what do they do. They, the
proceed to raise Tcpeka-TeXas
lumber rates from 26 to 271z cents and
then they give Wichita the new Topeka
rate, 271z cents. Everybody happy.
Wichita still pays no more than Topeka
and a cent less than formerly. Topeka
pays ~ cents more than before, but
Topeka is easy.
Still we permit railroad companies to do
this thing. Other states will not stand it.
Kansas is easy. Still we dear people
want A D. Walker for railroad commits
sioner. His own community repudiateS
his actions as too one-sided and alto
gether and only favorable to railroads,
but Republicans swallowed him at Wich-
tia.
Every ton of Pennsylvania hard coal
which is burned in Topeka costs the
consumer about one dollar per ton
more than it does the consumer in Lin
coin, Nebraska Topeka and Lincoln
are the same distance west of the Mis-
souri, river and Lincoln is even a tri1e
further from the coal fields. Lincoln
has a freight rate from the Missouri
river on hard coal of fifteen cents per
ton; Topeka pays one hundred cents!
Still we permit railroad companies to do
Kansas is easy. Still we dear people
want A. D. Walker for railroad commits
sioner. His own community repudiates
his actions as too one-sided and alto
gether and only favorable to railroads,
but Republicans swallowed him at Wich-
tia.
The newspapers of Lincoln pay three
cents per hundred pounds for hauling
their white paper from the Missouri
river to their town. Topeka newspa-
pers pay twelve cents, or sixty per
cent more than Kansas City which
pays only twenty cents from the mills
six hundred miles distant. For one
tenth the additional distance, Topeka
pays sixty per cent more freight.
Still we permit railroad companies to do
this thing. Other states will not stand it.
want A. L. Walker for railroad commits
sioner. His own community repudiates
gether and only favorable to railroads.
but Republicans swallowed him at Wich-
tia.
The freight charges are excessive in
Kansas in nearly the whole category.
Topeka merchants all pay four times
the rates charged Lincoln from Mis-
souri, river points.
Still we permit railroad companies to do
this thing. Other states will not stand it,
Kansas is easy. Still we dear people
want A. d. Walker for railroad commits
sioner. His own community repudiates
his actions as too one-sided and alto
gether and only favorable to railroads.
but Republicans swallowed him at Wich-
tia.
This is talk backed by figures
What's the remedy? The Republican
convention missed it's opportunity
What will the Democrats do on rail-
road commissioner?
When the campaign is on, unless by
that time the railroads have adjusted
the rates, show this clipping to yolr
campaign orators, ask them to show
you why you shoulc vote for A d.
Walker; ask your candidate for sena-
tor and for representative what he is
going to do at the next Iegislature III