The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-07

sioners $4,000 year. 1t regards the Of
fee as one of the most important state
| offices.
SHIPMENT OF WHEAT
For an example of the discrirnina-
ton in rates have here two paid ex-
pense bills of two different shipments
of wheat on the same railroad. One
shipment was made from Kansas city
to Galveston and the other was made
from Cheney, in this county, to CAT
weston The first, from Kansas City to
Galveston, was shipped October ;. 1sO2'
The second shipment, from Cheney,
was made October IA, 1902, or nine days
later. Cheney is 200 miles nearer Gal
weston than is Kansas City.
THE car from Kansas City contain
ed "a, $50 pounds of wheat. The freight
rate was II cents a hundred pounds
and the freight charge on the car was
$93. 80.
200 miles nearer Galveston, contained
SO, $50 pounds of wheat The freight
rate was 81 cents a hundred pounds.
The freight charge on the car was
'sThe Cheney car contained 100 bush
els more wheat than the other and
have reduced the freight bills to a basis
of equality. With the same amount or
wheat as was hauled in the Kansas
City car the Cheney cars freight bill
would have been S1TO.12, against the
$93. 80 for the car from Kansas City
This makes it cost the Cheney dealer
$40 more on a single car of wheat with
the same number of pounds than 1t
costs the Kansas City dealer to ship
wheat 200 miles farther on the same
line, to the same point!
AS TO COAL RATES.
kansas pays the railroads one cent per
towns east of here have an average rate
for all of 81 mills per ton per mile. against
Wichita rate of 10 mills per ton per mile
instead of its present rate of S1.6O a ton
a
IS cents ton to the Rock Island on coal
for use in its engines: This $50, Is on cq1i
inquiry learned that this was about the
largest business the Frisco had in coal
day. That coal is hauled from the same
place and delivered here in Wichlta TO
and other large consumers at 81 50 a ton
Now, then since the ROCK Island I'D
own coal from South McAlester fields in
Indian Territory to Wichita Harrington
and and, other points IN kan c tb ce
rather than pay the Frisco s. cents a ton
Then the question arises, did the Frisco
cent rate charged the Rock Island? or
when it charged you 81 so a ton was 1t
losing money? The coal rate Is simply
HIGH LOCAL RATES.
THE whole trouble with rates in Kan
sas is high local rates. This could be
regulated by board of railroad commits
inside the state on the rate on wheat out
side the state It can be done and is done
in the state of Texas The Texas COM
missioners have power to protect the peo- |
pie by marketing what they call emer- |
gency rates in cases where rates are too |
high, and courts have upheld them. If |
Kansas could adopt the emergency rate
plan we could remedy this matter When /
Kansas City papers and the Topeka Cap |
ital say the Kansas railroad law is one /
of the best. can prove they are in error |
The persons who make these statements |
evidently mean the law is best for the |
railroads.
we have gone before the interstate |
commerce commission. We find nine test |
cases against the railroads. That board 1
decided IN Washing ton at the hearing that /
our case was just The board issued or
ders TO the railroads to desist, but unfor- /
tunately the board belongs to the weak /
The commission did not have power TO /
give Wichita just rate or one that |
equals the Kansas City rate to the gulf. 1
The commission could cry stop, but it 1
could not arrest if they did not stop