The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-28

uUCGu IT, mat the same QlSCI11t4iAici-
ton against Kansas points preValls
upon nearly everything brought into
the state, as well as that shipped out
Robbery on Wheat.
do you know that until recently on
wheat shipped out of the state to the
gulf the rate from Wichita to Calves
ton was thirty and one-half cents and
from Kansas City seventeen cents, and
that the matter finally got before the
interstate commerce commission, and
1t made finding that the rate from
Kansas City of seventeen cents per
hundred was a remunerative one, and
that the rate from Wichita was ex-
cessive? You will see at once that it
ought not to be as much from Wich-
tia, 225 miles nearer the gulf market,
and yet the very same railroad COM
panies that shipped this grain from
Wichita and other grain markets in
the wheat belt, hauled grain right
through the city of Wichita, if billed
from Kansas City, 225 miles further
away. for thirteen and one-half cents
cheaper than they would haul it if
billed out of Wichita.
Eight Cents BusheI.
DO you know what that means to
the farmers in the wheat belt? 1T
means that trifle over eight cents per
bushel for every bushel of wheat
raised by you has Wrongfully been
taken from your pocket and put down
in the Golfers of the railroad company.
And this is figured on the basis of tn e
same rate from Wichita as Kansas City.
But the fact is that the rate from
Kansas City of seventeen cents being
a remunerative one, it surely follows
that a less rate from Wichita would
also be reasonable and remunerative,
but figuring it the basis of the
Kansas City rate, I want to call your
attention for a few moments to the
amount of money that is being taken
wrongfully from you each year. I
hold in my hands a map of the coun-
try within a radius of one hundred
miles of the city of Wichita, showing
among other things the number of
bushels of wheat raised in each coun-
ty in this district for 1901, and 1 find
that the total number of bushels of
wheat raised was 9,435,112, and at
eight cents per bushel, the farmers
have wrongfully had taken from them
over 100000 That the farmers of
Sumner county, with its 6,S19, 226
bushels, lost over one-half million dol
lars. kingman, with its 1,863,450,
nearly $4,000 Harper, with its
2,756,4 bushels, 100000. Reno, !
with its 3,395,34S bushels. $26O,OOO.
Harvey, with its 1,S56,694 bushels,
nearly $4,000 Butler, with 297 345
bushels, over $4,000. Cowley with
1,S23,078 bushels, over $4,000. Sedg-
wick, with its 3.0O4,817 bushels ,$24O.-
600.
''And each of you farmers in the
wheat belt that usually put in at least
eighty of your $50 acres in wheat, /
raising at least 1900 bushels each
unjust
discrimination 1925 yearly.
L have not attempted to quote from |
all the counties in this district, but /
enough of those surrounding counties |
merely to show you the enormous |
amount of money WrOngfully taken !
from you each year through these IN |
lawful determinations and extortions |
And there never has been a valid rea- !
son given for it, and the companies |
themselves have lately agreed to give |
Wichita, Hutchinson and Salina the /
same sugar rate as Kansas City from |
California points, thereby acknowledge /
ing their ability to do justice to our /
people if they feel so inclined. And /
the railroad companies nave lately |
gotten into racket among themselves !
at Kansas City over the rate east on /
wheat, and they put in a rate tenn /
porarily from Wichita to the gulf of /
211a cents per hundred, but having /.
settled their little war over the east
ern rate they have announced that on .
June 10 the old rate will obtain agsin /
for the wheat belt, so you see just as
your great wheat crop is about to be |
harvested, up go the rates again, and |
you will be bled again in the interest
of the railroad companies"
The speaker produced other compar-
alive figures showing that Kansas peo-
pie pay much greater freight rates on
live stock and cattle than are charged |
Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. |
He then continued:
The Car Famine Evil.
But, my friends. these are not all
of the evils you have to contend with.
out his cattle, puts them in the stock
yards and the cars don't come. He
suffers a shrinkage. The farmer
threshes his wheat it is piled upon the
ground at the stations awaiting ship
ment and no cars to haul it away The
storms come and he finds his wheat
rotting. The grain buyer contracts for
wheat, mis- elevator is filled, he borrows
I, 1, til
of interest, he pays insurance. he can
not fill his orders. the market fuctu-
ates and no cars for him and he sees
his business going to ruin. The miller
attempts to get grain for grinding. He
finds himself unable to get it, and per-
haps a pet or favorite of the company
is getting all the cars he needs, and
he also is injured Now every locality |
in the state furnishes you with a living
witness of this deplorabie and ruinous
condition Ask Mr.. Grace, one of your
heavy stock men who is now sitting in
this audience, his experience with the /
in relation to the shipment
of stock. Ask another of your citizens
Mr.. Nash, how much grain he lost
through his inability to get cars. Ask
your elevator and mill men what their
experiences nave been. And you far
merS know that all of you have not /
sufficient grain room to take care of
your grain when it is threshed and
that it is absolutely necessary to do
your threshing when the machine is
in your neighborhOod. Your wheat may
be in the stack and the storm come and
it rots, and so if you nave no oppor-
tunity to sell it and send it away you
must be the sufferer. And yet. under
the common law, railroads We're bound
to furnish cars within a reasonable
time or were held accounta BILE for dam
ages. They are supposed to be a pub
lie benefit and that is why they are
allowed to condemn land, take your
farms if necessary in the public in
terests by the payment of proper dam
ages to be used for railroad purposes