The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-18
MAY BE FIXED UP.
Missouri River Rate Hearing
May Be Dropped.
Both Sides Evidently Anxious
for a Compromise.
THE s'BEANKET'' RATE.
This May Be withdrawn by
Mutual Agreement.
Would Put All on an Even
Basis.
THE s'BLANKET'' RATE.

It IS generally believed that the con-
tInuance of the Missouri River com
Inoalty rate hearing until June 19 means
1hat this case win never be allowed to
come before the state board of railroad
commissioners. The railroads, it is
salo' are planning to withdraw their
appncatIon for permission to cancel the
commodity rate.
AS substitute for the proposed with
drawal of the commodity rate, the rail-
ROADS and the interior jobbers are work
ms out plan for a modification of ex-
lsllhg tariffs so that the blanket rate"
Whlcn now covers shipments into Kan
sas from the Kansas City wholesale
houses viii be withdrawn and a strict
dlslance tariff be substituted. It is the
blanket rate which enables the Missouri
river Joobers to cover nearly the whole
Kansas field at more advantageous
freight rates than can be secured by
the interior jobbers.
According to the present Arrangement
Of rates, there is a strip down through
the center OF the state, lying Just west
OF lhe c0rdon OF interior jobbing points,
IN which the Kansas City and other
Missouri river point jObbers can not
compete The interior jobbers can get
in their goods at a less freight charge
that the Kansas City jobber has to
pay to send the same goods To their
town. In shipping west beyond the in
terror town, the interior jobber must
pay the local rate from town to town
In course of about 100 miles, this grad
ually increasing local rate equals the
Kansas City rate again, and consequent
/ ly there is a strip down the western pOr-
ton of the state which is also Missouri
river territory. The Missouri river point
Jobbers therefore, under the so-called
! commodity rate" have the inside track
on freight rates in the eastern and ex-
treme western portions of the state. The
interior jobbers catch the central por-
ton, and Topeka, Lawrence and En-
poria each have a territory blocked off
to the west in which they can get bet
ter rates than can Kansas City.
In this manner, the railroads have
practically assigned to- each Jobbing
house the territory which 1t can cover,
and it is held firmly within its own ter
ritOry unless it can get some sort of a
/ secret deal with the railroads to help
it extend its trade.
What the interior jObbers want is not
4 a withdrawal of the existing Missouri
river tariffs, but a general readjust-
/ ment of all the freight rates and a
withdrawal of the present blanket rate
/ from Missouri river points.
They want it fixed so that the Kan
/ saS City jobber who ships to Kansas
/ will have to pay a gradually increasing
into the state. They are willing to have
the same scale of increase according to
distance applied to their own ship
ments. Such an arrangement would
/ limit the territory of the jobbing houses
/ strictly on the merits of their geo.
graphical location. A jobbing house al
Hutchinson would be able to compete
/ on equal terms with jobbers at Salina
| Wichita and other interior points, and
/ it would probably have a little advan-
tage over points east in covering the
| western portion of the state. Not only
| that, but the interior jobber would be
1 able to get into some of the territory
east of him. in competition for trade
which he has heretofore been unable tC
i touch.
The most noticeable effect of the dis
tance tariff schedule would probably be
an increase in the cost of groceries il
the extreme western portion of the
state. 1t is natural that this should be
the case as the extreme western por-
tance from the point of supply. and
must naturally expect to pay higher
freight rates on goods shipped in from
/ the east.
It is probably not generally known
| that the commodity of sugar, which is
one of the articles covered by the COM
modify rate, comprises about one-third
of the total grocery tonnage of the rail-
roads, and that sugar, together with
coffee, canned goods, beans and syrup
comprise half the total tonnage. These
five commodities are the ones which are
now shipped out from Missouri river
points to all parts of Kansas under a
blanket rate.