The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-24
They MAY FIX IT.
Usage Coal Operators Likely to
Agree With Railroads.
Their Part OF the Rate Hearing
lis Dismissed.
TOPEKA is INTERESTED
Adjustment of Usage Rates I'm
portant for This City.
Mr.. A. l.. COnrad's Wonderful
Tables of Figures.
FOPEKAIS INTERESTED

just before adjournment of the coal
rate hearing Thursday afternoon it was
announced that the railroad representa-
tves and the Usage county operators
had got together and would arbftrate
Their differences at Usage City some time
within the next two weeks The rail-
road commissioners authorized the con-
tinuance OF that portion Of the coal case
which affects Usage county conditions.
If the conference at Usage City does
not result in an agreement, the commits
sloners Will have a special hearing on
the case.
The Usage county coal case is Of more
importance to Shawnee county than anv
other portion Of the coal rate matter
under investigation. The Usage fields
are closer to Topeka than any other
and it ought to be possible Tor Iunap
coal 10 be shipped from there at a very
low rate. AS a matter of fact however.
the reductions in the coal rates have all
oeen Tor the benefit of the Pittsburg
and southern Kansas fields and Usage
county has found itself constantly los
ing its grip on markets which 1t for
merly controlled. 1t is this condition
which caused the complaint from Usage
county.
II have talked to a number of the
Usage county people since coming here
said J. 9. Lincoln, assistant freight traf-
nc manager Of the Missouri Pacific
and ] have discovered that the differ
ences between US are more due to trade
conditions than to rates. I believe that
by taking up the matter with them. we
VIII be able to reach some agreement.
We have therefore aTrangd for a con
ference at Usage City some time before
December Is, to take up the whole mat
ter. Mr.. Koontz of the Santa Fe viii be
snr7f4a e.
Usage county coal men"
The Usage county delegation which
came I'D Thursday to attend the hear
ing. nearly all returned home last night
The delegation included Senator H B.
Miller, J.. NJ. O'Neil Ben HfIborn. Th0s
Chappeu Gus johnson. sam Carlson.
G. a. GrenstTom. Chris Little, Henry
Isaacs, N. Nettleblade, c.. w Knight
and r, ]. Cahill
COnrad's Wonderful Figures.
A. L. Conrad auditor of disburse-
ments of the Santa Fe. was placed on
the stand late in the afternoon By the
attorneys for the railroad compa MES.
The state had finished its evidence. with
the exception OF some witnesses from
Abilene. and If was agreed that the
Abilene witnesses should be heard later
Mr. Conrad proved himself to be sort
OF wizard with figures. His tables
seemed to prove that hauling coal is
very disastrous to the railroads from a
financial standpoint.
Accordingto- to Mr.. Conrads tabula-
tons. the Santa. Fe loses from $40 to
$500 on every train load of slack coal
which it sends out, and has only a
small margin of profit on lump coal
shipments. Lump coal to Kansas City
is shipped at a loss of $3.50 per train
load.
On slack shipped firm Pfttsburg to
salina, the loss is s162. from Pittsburg
70 MCPHERSON it is $118.65, from
Pittshurg to Ellsworth it is s246.15.
from Pittsburg to Topeka il is S99.3O.
All these figures are based on the as
sumption that each train consists of
only twelve cars and this seems to be
the root of the obvious fallacy that the
santa F'e is losing money on al Its
coal shipments
Mr.. Conrad's tables were prepared
as rebuttal to tables prepared by e. c.
SINNER an emplOye of the board Of
commissioners. Mr.. Sinner took the
sworn reports of the Santa Fe on file
with the board. and these showed the
average number of freight cars to each
train mile to be twelve. Figuring on
this basis he ascertained the profits for
various hauls from Pittsburg. The
pronts to Salina on such a train would
be $436.80; to Mcpherson. S454.31: To
Ellsworth, s546.S1: to Topeka S33SO2
IL was 10 combat these figures that Mr.
conrad prepared his tables
A r. Helm attacked Mr. Coma q 8
computations severely and secured
from him the admission that thew
would show different result if based
on the actual number of cars hauled
IN each train. Mr.. Conrad also admit
ted that the sworn statements on dIe
with the state board of railroad COM
Tnlssloners concerning the condition of
the santa Fe were computed on a diff
ferent basis from the one he used. On
the whole it all seemed to go to prove
that almost anything can be proved
DE nE71THs. There &c n IN Is-4
Conrad's figures are correct: the only
question IS whether he used the proper
basis of computation or whether the
sworn statements on file with the board
furnish more correct basis. It seems
that the Santa Fe does not segregate
its accounts in such way that KAN
sas business is shown by itself In or
der to arrive at the cost of hauling
freight ar. Conrad took the average
Tor the whole Santa Fe system proper.
The attorney on the other side claimed
that such figures were misleading.
The result of it all was that Mr.. Con-