The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-10

cept it if that tender is made good
at the convention. Among my very
/ first friends were delegates from Ma
rion county. 1 need not say that this
compliment is not only appreciated by
me, but by our general solicitor, Mr..
/ Cochran, and our management gen.
orally.
would like as soon as possible your
candid views as to this, and hope you
will speak with entire frankness.
Very sincerely,
CSigned) J. H. RICHk RDS.
The Missouri Pacific Railway Co,
Legal Department; ]. H. Richards,
General Attorney; c. E. Benton,
Assistant Attorney
Fort Scott, Kas.. Feb. 81, 1904.
My Dear Sir am in receipt of let
tiers from all over the state, and gen.
orally ignoring factional lines, asking
me to stand as candidate for delegate
at large to the national convention.
These letters are so fervld in their
assurances and in their friendship and
so insistent upon me doing this, that
feel as though 1 should accept the
great compliment thus rendered me,
and i'll material sense to my COM
pany, not only for the services we have
rendered the party in the past but may
hope TO render il in the future. If
there were any other candidate from
my district, or from what is called
eastern or southeastern Kansas or if
inconsistent with your support of other
candidates for one or more of the six
delegates at large to be chosen, 1
would not have thought of this, for 1
would not enter into any contest what
ever If it comes to me it comes as a
high compliment and courtesy which
1 assure you 1 will duly appreciate.
Won't you kindly write me imme-
it? 1 assure you that your personal
support and any effort you make make
with the other members of your dele
CATION will also be appreciated.
7 ST. in,
of my purposes in writing you is TO
advise those who can avail them
selves of it that transportation over
our line will be furnished to Wichita.
Very sincerely your friend,
(Signed) j. H. RICHARDS.
And still my opponent says that
nearly every Republican manager adj
vised against his nomination, and that
owe my nomination largely to Mr.
Bale Waggener. the general attorney
of the Missouri Pacific, and to Mr..
Orr, another railroad attorney, and to
other notorious railroad influences.
And yet this convention adopted the
following railroad plank:
'Eighth-In fulfillment of former
platforms the Republican party made
the board of railroad commissioners
elective by the people, thus making
these officers more directly responsible
to the great body of shippers and con-
sumers. We pledge the nominees of
this convention to a strict enforce
vention of discrimination, inequalities
and eXtortions in rates and the pro-
vision of adequate facilities for the in
creasing freight and passenger traffic
of the state, and we pledge our best
effort to secure such amendments to
the law as experience may make nee
essary to accomplish these ends"
Meaningless in itself, because a ma
jority of the commissioners and other
state officers were renominated while
such determinations, inequalities and
extortions in rates were in vogue and
while inadequate facilities for hand
of any of these officers had prevented
the ills complained of, and no reason
is given why any future action of such
officers would differ from those of the
past.
But did the people have any right
to complain of existing conditions?
Let me, reiterate what I have stated
on another occasion in calling your at |
tention to few facts.
Some Unjust Rates.
On lumber shipped from Arkansas |
and Texas points right through the city |
Of Arkansas City. Winfield, Wichita and |
other points in Kansas the rate has
been until the matter was taken up by |
The interstate commerce commission 512 |
cents per hundred cheaper to Kansas !
City than to Wichita and these other
Of 653 miles to Wichita, the rate was |
2S1z cents, and at Topeka, hauling 1t |
L62 miles farther it cost Topeka 21k cents |
ess than Wichita, and if carried to |
Lawrence. 81 miles farther than Tope- |
ka. it cost cents less than if left at |
Topeka, and if still carried on to KAN |
sas City. Missouri, 40 miles farther than |
Lawrence, it cost one cent per hundred /
ess than if left at Lawrence, cents |
ess than if left at Topeka and 81 cents |
ess than if left at Wichita. And If /
,arried on to Chicago, Ill, more than I
vice the distance from Conroe, Texas, |
In ,1,zar- he
hauled for cents per hundred less than /
f unloaded at Wichita. In other words, |
he same company that starts the lum- |
Der hauls it over it's own tracks through |
-hese different cities and charges Wich-
ia dealers cents per hundred, which |
s nearly two dollars a thousand feet
more for unloading it at Wichita than
hey would if they hauled 1t 225 miles
arther to Kansas City. Missouri, and |
learly 50. 90 per thousand feet more than
hey would if they hauled it 6S1 miles
arther to Chicago. And it charges To-
)elxa nearly S1.00 a thousand more for
Unloading there than it would if it
hauled it to Chicago, 625 miles farther
iway. And it charges Lawrence, KAN
las. the same for the privilege of un-
Oading there that it would if IT carried
he same lumber to Chicago, 49S miles
arther. And, since the interstate COM
nerce commission heard the case and
the rate from Conroe, Tex,
o Kansas City of % cents per hundred
remunerative one, and the Wichita
ate an excessive one the company mas
nagnanimously reduced the rate to
Wichita to 271a cents. A great big re-
luction of one cent.
The freight charges on sugar shipped /
rom California. through Wichita,
and Salina to Kansas City
we're at the same time Is cents per hun
Ired more to Wichita. Hutchinson and L
;alina than to Kansas City, and from
Colorado points it was ~ cents more.
The same discrimination against Kan
as points prevails upon nearly every
ming brought into the state as well as