The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-13

famed the large crowd OF railroad men,
milers, grain shippers and attorneys
with a fierce harangue about the rate
situation. He handed out to every BODY
present a large tract on THE Birth or
the Grain Trust; It's Conception, Growth
and Unnatural Development" written
by himself
THAT is written by me. printed by
me, owned by me- and it isn't tainted
with any trust or corporation Doodle"
shouted Johnk, with such rlcn Ger
man accent that it was almost impoSs1-
bit to understand him.
When Johnk passed his circulars
around NJ. A. Low refused to take one.
All of the other railroad attorneys.
however, accepted a copy, and cheered
Johnk when he made his speech.
IT am Johnny on the spot; stand by
your guns, boys; down with the grain
rates!" shouted Johnk, as he danced
about among the railroad magnates,
handing out his tracts.
After the hearing started, JOhnlk drew
his chair close up to that OF Carr Tay-
Ior, attorney for the board, and tried
to make suggestions. Mr.. Taylor had
to request Mr.. Johnk to withhold his
information. There is no doubt that
Johnk is very much in earnest, and is
| trying to do something for the good Of
the grain shippers.
The hearing was set for 2 o'clock
in the afternoon It was about 2:3O
when Commissioners Wheatley and
Walker came in and announced that
| Commissioner Robson had been de-
/ tained by a late train and would not
be in till late in the afternoon. They
announced that they would go ahead
and hear the evidence, and allow Mr..
Robson to tcatch up" by reading the
transcript.
without any apparent excuse for it,
the attorneys became involved in a
long Winded argument which con-
sumed nearly all the afternoon. Mr..
Taylor opened with short statement
/ of the case on behalf of the complain
I azv7CA f41cr
ton and showing what the state pro-
posed to prove.
Low Speaks for Railroads.
NJ A. Low, attorney for the Rock
Island, then set forth the position of
the railroad companies, and indicated
the grounds of their defense. He said
in part:
1T is a fundamental principle that
a carrier which collects products and
brings them to a central point for
tributes goods from some central point
for consumption, is entitled to a high
er rate than a carrier which handles
goods in train load shipments. That
is the condition here in Kansas. The
Kansas railroads are collecting the
grain, and hauling it to Kansas City,
where it moves to the markets.
81 want to say that this case is not
brought by the farmers and grain ship
pers; not by a long shot The same
people who inspired this suit, brought
the suit before the interstate COM
merce commission at which they COM
planned of the grain rate from Wich-
ita to Galveston. The commerce COM
mission fixed the rate at 2S1a cents
instead of 80 Is cents. 1t is this rate
which is now being attacked; the same
rate fixed by the interstate commerce
commission.
eIt has been stated that we do not
have cars enough to handle the traffic
of Kansas. deny that statement
T,--- rI-a, 81 Fasi
trouble is that the terminals are
blOckaded, and we can't get our cars
unloaded. They stand there in the
yards, and are not available for traffic
What's the use of sending out more
empty cars to the producers when we
can't unload what we have? It would
simply increase and intensity the
blockade.
should quit this export business alto
gether. They would make more
money if they did an exclusive state
business. There is nothing in the eX-
port rate as it is.
"The railroads have no desire to in
jure the state of Kansas. can say
for my associates here that I do not
think a single one of them wants to do
anything which would otherwise than
build up the state
Wichita is the prime mover in all
these rate troubles. The people down
there have notion that It adds to
their importance to be continually
stirring up something about freight
rates. They have a very good town, /
and they don't want to be forgotten. !
don't think they will be, either
At the conclusion of Mr.. Lows S re- /
marks a Wichita grain shipper by the |
name Of J. c. Robb, who happened to /
be in the audience, arose and said |
that the Wichita grain men were en- |
tirely satisfied with existing conditions, /
and were able to sell grain in competi- /
oil
no reductions and were siding with /
the railroads in the present fight Mr.. /
Low apOlOgized for his remarks about I
Wichita.
John H. Atwood then said: "I rep
resent the miIlers who intervene in this /
case. We are not here contending for /
anything. All we say is that we want
nothing done which will in5ure our
business. If the board should take any
action which would result in taking
away from us the milling in transit
privilege, it would ruin US.
The millers set forth in their inter |
vening petition that they had been
informed" presumably threatened by
the railroads, that the milling in transit
privilege would be taken from them in I
case of material reduction IN gram
A. A. Hurd. of the Santa Fe, said: |
seThe proposed reductions will not help |
the shipper bit. The prices OF grain
will be reduced just as much as you !
reduce the freight rate. 1t has worked
that way before and would again
Low Oners Half q Million.
Mr.. Taylor replied 20 these state /
ments of the railroad attorneys, and
said that the proposed reduction would
result in building up a chain of big
elevators in central Kansas at which
the state would take care of its own
grain and ship it from these centers-
There is no reason" said MI ray
lor s'yvhv the Santa Fe should come
in here and plead that it collects all
this Kansas grain and hauls it to kan
sas City and allows it there to be dis
tributed among all the various eastern
roads for shipment. The Santa Fe
might as we'll haul the grain clear
through to Chicago, and so might the
Rock Island with grain which origin
afae On IFS line "