The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-06-03

u great Dig reduction OF one cent.
'Do you know that freight charges
on sugar shipped from California
through Wichita, Hutchinson, Salina
to Kansas City were until recently Is
cents per hundred more to Wichita,
Hutchinson and Salina than to Kan
sas City? And through Colorado
points it was seven and one-half cents
more until theNmatter was taken up by
the interstate commerce commission,
when the railroads acknowledged it
was an injustice and partially reduced
it. That the same discrimination
against Kansas points prevails upon
nearly everything brought Into the
state, as we'll 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
th lat the matter finally got before the
interstate commerce commission, and
it made a finding that the rate from
Kansas City of seventeen cents per
hundred was remunerative one, and
that the rate from Wichita was excess
sive? 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 graip 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 A BUSHEL.
"DO you know what that means to
the farmers in the wheat belt? 1t
means that a trifle over eight cents
per bushel for every bushel of wheat
raised by you has wrongfully been
taken from your pockets and put down
in the Golfers of the railroad COM
pany. And this is figured on the
basis of the same rate from Wichita
as Kansas City. But the fact is that
the rate from Kansas City of seven
teen cents being a remunerative one,
it surely follows that a less rate from
Wichita would also be reasonable
and remuuerative, but figuring it ON
the basis of the Kansas City rate, 1
want to call your attention for few
moments to the amount of money that
is being taken onefully from you
you each year. hold in my hands a
map of the country 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 county in this district in 1901,
and [ find that the total number of
bushels of wheat raised was 50, 49,, 112,
and at eight cents a bushel, the farm
ers have wrongfully had taken from
them over $6,000,OOO. That the farm
ers OF Sumner county, with its $685.
226 bushels, lost over one-half million
dollars. Kingman, with its 1858. 45O,
nearly $780, 600. Harper, with it's
2,756,4 bushels, S220,OOO. Reno, with
it's 1896, 343 bushels, $3.50, 200. Har-
vey, with it's 1885, 94 bushels, nearly
$780, 600. Butler, with 297, 345 BUSH
els, over S23.O00 Cowley, with l, $685.
O7S bushels, over 100000. Sedgwick,
with it's 3,OO4, 81 bushels. S24O,OO
And each of you farmers in the
wheat belt that usually put in at least
so of your l60 acres in wheat, raising
at least l,500 bushels each year, are
paying tribute to this unjust discrim-
ination S125 yearly.
81 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 I'M.
lawful Determinations and extortions.
And there never has been valid
reason given for it, and the COM
panie' themselves have lately agreed
to give Wichita, Hutchinson and Sa-
lima the same sugar rates as Kansas
City from California points, thereby
acknowledging their ability to do JUS
tice to our people if they feel so in
clined. And the railroad companies
have lately gotten into racket
| among themselves at Kansas City
over the rate east on wheat. aud they
put in rate temporarily from Wich-
tia to the gulf of 2lI cents per hum
dred. but having settled their little
war over the eastern rate, they an
nounced that on June 10 the old rate
would obtain again for the wheat belt,
so you see inst as your great wheat
crOn il a hOut RI he harvested mn po