The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-16
That is a discrepancy. undoubtedly an
it ought to be corrected"
Inequalities in Coal Rates.

.
81 to this city from Southeastern Kan
sas. The rate to Topeka now is $1.40
to Atchison 80 cents, and to Kansas
City so cents. I am in favor of a 81
rate for all coal into Topeka from tht,
coal belt south of US"
C. r. Maunsell, of the Edison Light
company, said: I am in favor of the
80 cent rate"
From information brought out by
these men and from others acquainted
with the situation, it was made patent
that this city is Disseminated against.
Here are a few figures presented Ey
Mr. Jensen on the subject: They refer
to slack coal shipped from Pittsburg
and the contiguous coal producing cit
les in southern Kansas.
From the mine to Atchison, so cents
per ton, distance z21 miles.
From the mine to St Joseph, 80 cents
per ton, distance 242 miles
From the mine to Leavenworth, 80
cents per ton, distance Ill miles.
From the mine TO Topeka, $1.25 per
ton, distance 173 miles.
This city uses at least 100000 tons of
slack coal every year. OF this amount
the Edison company uses at least 20
600 tons and the Continental Cream
cry 1900 tons, and for this, $1.25 per
ton rate must be paid, While other
cities further distant from the coal
belt, get it for 80 cents. Then there
/ is Kansas City which gets its slack
coal hauled for so cents per ton. In
explanation of the cheap rate for the
(
say that 1t is born of competition
That is the argument they advance
When a formal resolution was called
for, Frank P. MacLennan offered the
following; I hereby move that the
committee be instructed to ask for a
rate of 80 cents per ton on slack coal,
and a corresponding reduction on all
other grades" The motion carried
without opposition.
The jobbing interests were then
taken up. Mr.. w. H. Davis, of the
Parkhurst-Davis company stated what
he thought was wanted. He prefaced
his talk with a desire that only such
things be asked as are fair, and for
which real good genuine arguments
can be advanced to the roads. They
have lots of figures. and facts, said
ME- Davis "by which they can make
you think that Topeka gets the best
rates in the country. We can stand the
grief for the first, second, third and
4 fourth classes of freight but we desire
/ a change in the fifth. AS it now stands
/ it is Il cents from Kansas City to To
! peka on a hundred pounds, IN, ana
cents off. going out. We should like to
have that changed to 10 cents, in, and
10 cents off, going out. That would pc
/ fair in our Judgment
What Jobbers Want.
Major Anderson. who gave many
years of his life to railroad work and
knows it from the ground up, said;
You'll get that all right.
In support of his request Mr.. Davis
said: THE fifth class viii not stand
for the difference which now exists. It
ought to be changed. 1t gives the
Kansas City people an advantage It
/ is cheaper for US to supply western
customer with stock from a Kansas
/ City jobber. than to have it sent here
and then out to him.
1 There is another thing continued
i Mr. Davis, that should be done and
that is the granting of the jobbing
!
/ into Indian Territory, Nebraska and
the Panhandle in Texas. Those fences
ought to be pulled down, and we ought
not to be confined to Kansas alone
| Mr.. Davis told of meeting which
/ his firm once had with, representatives
of the four railroads here in the city,
and they admitted to him that when
the freight was in the Topeka yards
could pc handled as cheaply as in any
other. But on that account they would
make no concessions.
other jobbers were called upon to
sneak on the subject. but they all de-
/ clared that Mr.. Davis statement was
satisfactory and covered the case. His
! request was Incorporated with the gen
eraI report to be made to the railroads.
Lumber Rates Needed.
! Jonathan Thomas took up the case
/ of the lumber dealers. He recounted
at length the conditions, saying: ''Lum-
/ Der that is shipped in from Texas has
a rate of 271a cents upon it when it
strikes the border of Kansas. At Rock
/ Greek the rate is 26 cents, at Holton 26
cents. at Atchison 26 cents, at St. Joe
and Omaha, 26 cents, at Lincoln 26
cents, up in Iowa at Ft. Madison 25
cents, at Kansas City % cents, and at
Topeka 2712 cents. Going west to
Great Bend the rate rises to 80 cents.
There ought to be something done
about this by all means
1t appears that the sash and door
manufacturers are in clover in com
parison to the rest of Topeka, shippers.
They get a rate of cents in and 10
cents off going out, on third and fourth
class stock. At the meeting they rep
resented themselves as satisfied.
Frank p. MacLennan called the at
tention of the committee to the heavy
rate on paper for printing newspapers
He stated that no differentlal
was obtained, and that the material
which ranked as fifth class stock had
a Il cent rate in and nothing off going
out. kansas City" said Mr. Mac
Lehman. "is also the newspaper mans
competitor. To that city paper IS
brought from the wisconsin mills, a
distance of 500 miles for 20 cents per
hundred pounds. For the additional
so miles between the Missouri river
and Topeka we have to pay II cents.
That means that we have to pay 32
cents for $50 miles, while Kansas City
pays 20 cents for GOO miles"
/ A modification of the rates on lum-
ber and paper were both listed to be
called TO the aJIenllOn Oh the IdllIoduS-
4 1t was determined to ask the roads
for the old differentia1 formerly en-
ljoyed by the millers in this city. Thos
Page spoke at length in its favor He
believes it q. good thing for Topeka
Mr.. Page said: Topeka is discrimi-
mated against in the matter of grain
rates. Under the present conditions
/ there is no use building any more mills
here as they will lose money would
not build my mill over again here now.
I would not advise anybody to invest
in the milling business here at the
present time Nobody who unders tands
the sit11a ton rsrn11ld h1lild one -