The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-09


Kansas City, is 81 cents per 100
pounds, and the freight on our car OF
stoves is $122.40 and on the one stove
it is 81. But the special rate lower
than class rates is made on sugar and
the freight on same weight car OF
sugar, Chicago to Emporia, is $3.50
same as to Topeka. II sugar and
stoves belong in same class In car
lots there is an oyercharge of $33.SO
per car on stoves at Emporia. Iron
pipe in car lots takes fifth class same
as do stoves and sugar. But ship a
$4,000 pound car each of stoves, iron
pipe and sugar from Chicago to EN-
poria, Kan, and the freight is $122.40
on the stoves, 1884 on the iron pipe
and $91.80 on the sugar.
They tell us none but railway experts
can make rates They are right If
rates are to be made on the theory of
what the traffic will bear or what will
tear down one city and build up an
other or divide empire of trade between
rival sugar refineries.
To Newton, Kan, 660 miles from
Chicago or 200 miles west of Kansas
City the stove car rate is $139.20 and
the one stove $3.50 At Newton we
will leave the main line west and go
south. We stop car at Wichita, 687
miles from Chicago and the rate is $l44
and on the one stove $4.55. The 230
mile haul west of Kansas City to Wich-
ita takes an additional charge of $500
on the car above the 457 miles haul,
Chicago to Kansas City.
1 They tell us rates are reasonable and
wonder why Kansas is restless as a
dog with fleas.
Railway managers tell us that the in
terstate commerce commission Is not
capable of fixing rates nor in their
opinion is any other governmental
body able to make just rates. They
tell us none but railway experts can
do that. 1t is a fact not generally
known that the railways have rate
committees" located at various points
over the United States with a small
army of clerks whose duty it Is to spy
out the land and learn what industry,
and when, is started at any point, and
what relation it bears to a like enter
prise in which directors of their roads
may be interested, what manner of
crop is grown, what market any COM
modify seeks and gather industrial sta
tistics for their own private use, more
accurate and complete than compiled
by any government in it's tax gather
ing.
This is done first that the traffic
manager may know from the rate MAX
ers that he is getting all the freight
revenue on his line the traffic will bear.
Second, that natural growth of agri-
culture stock raising, mining and man
ufactures may not catch one road nap
ping and cause another road to Issue a
midnight tariff starting rate war
Third, that years of compiled data and
study Of conditions affecting cost Of
production on every conceivable article
of commerce may be had SO as to know
how much the traffic will bear. Fourth,
that the rivers of commerce may not
overleap the bounds placed upon them
and cut or create new channels.
| This is illustrated by the late grain
rate wars from Missouri river grain
| HeiuS UtIWScu llucS east W AJidutiC
coast and south to the gulf.
When transcontinental roads come
to blows, the fight is In its nature the
same as that between two thick
skinned beasts from the iungles of
Africa. There is no spilling of brains
but much noise and loss Of blood and
corruption, and with no more regard
for public peace industry or equity
Grain makes less than nine per cent
of the nations total tonnage. "Ex
port grain but fraction of that nine
per cent. Yet the noise made in the
late midnight" tariff and grain rate
war would lead one looking out into
the moonlight of railroading, to think
a cat fight was in progress on every
fence post and square foot of the ma
ton. Soon as it is fixed up by com
bine in direct conflict with the Sher
man antitrust act, as it will be, we
will get reports on how necessary it is
to cut labor and other expense ac.
counts. The freight rate made by the
railway expert is whimsical, unjust
and unreliable instead Of being stable
just and reliable as is the postage