The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-03
Railroads Make a Reduction Of
% Cents.
This Is Good for Only Sixty
Days.
BENEFITS THRESHERS.
Companies Say That Is Why 1t
Is Done.
Has Nothing to Do With Mr..
MOrtOn's Visit.

At a conference held Thursday in
Kansas City of representatives of the
Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe. the St.
Louis & san Francisco. the Missouri
Pacific, the Missouri. Kansas & Texas
and the Kansas City Southern rail-
ways. it was decided to make a reduc-
tion, effective at once, of 25 cents a
ton on soft coal from the southern
Kansas fields TO points in Kansas and
Nebraska. The Rock Island and Mis-
souri, Pacific took this step on May 81
and put the reduction into operation on
June l. The new rate is good for so
days, or until August 1. The purpose is
to give jobbers and coal dealers. at So
called junction points where different
railroads meet, an opportunity to ship
in a lot of coal and have it ready for
the threshing season, and also to store
early winter fuel. An attractive rate
causes jobbers to lay in a heavy stock
and this prevents congestion of rush
orders when the threshers need coal
and when the first cold days come in
the fall
This action of the roads is a regular
occurrence each year and has nothing
to do at all with the recent visit OF
Vice President Paul Morton of this
city, with whom a conference was held
reduction OF freight rates on various
kinds of freight. J. r. Koontz. as
sistant general freight agent of the
Santa Fe. attended the Kansas City
conference yesterday and left for St
Louis after it was over. He is conse-
quently not in the city today. From
his office the above information was
obtained. Grant ThOrnburg. division
freight agent of the Rock Island, was
communicated with in regard to the
matter. His road was not represented
at the meeting yesterday, because the
reduction had already been established
on the Rock Island He also stated
that the change was only a temporary
one, good for 60 days and a matter Of
| accommodation to jobbers. p. J. Mona
CHAN, of the Southwestern Fuel COM
pany, who, with other dealers is affect
ed by the rate, stated that the action
of roads comes every year and that it
is to help out the jobbers to supply
threshers and lay aside coal for the
early winter trade.
At the present time the rate on coal
from southern Kansas mines to Kan
sas points is S1-25 per ton on slack coal
and S1.40 on lump coal. The 25 cents
reduction will bring the rate on lump
coal down to S115, which will also be
charged for slack The slack will not
be hauled any cheaper under this re-
ductiOn," said Mr.. Thornburg of the
Rock Island, than the lump. That is
the custom usually followed in this 50
day reduction It is made for lump
coal anyhow" At the Santa Fe general
freight Office it was stated that the re-
ductiOn on that line is to apply only
on lump coal, but the statement was
made with the qualification that no ad-
vices on the subject have been receiv-
ed and that nothing official will be Civ
en- out until specific informa ton is sup
piled, or until the return of Assistant
General Freight Agent Koontz, tomor-
row.
When the places affected by this
rate reduction Wer ecalled into con-
troversy. it was stated in the Office OF
the general freight agent of the Rock
Island that the new rate does not
apply to the so-calIed Missouri river
points, but on the contrary from
mines on the Frisco and NJ K & T.
roads to any point in Kansas or Ne
/ braska reached by the Rock Island
other than Missouri river points.