The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-18

agreed upon and promulgated. but yet
we can only know a tree by its fruits
and one thing is certain, there is no
longer the competition which existed
prior to 1888. in both the solicitation
ana IN the rates upon cattle. In the
ufSL place. every road involved put
into effect upon exactly the same day
the increases IN rates upon cattle ana
any one with the least knowledge of
traffic matters knows that no such an
increase would have been possible
without the concurrence of all the
roads. Now. such com binatiOnS it may
be impossible to prevent by laws. But,
II 1t is inevitable that they are to be.
it is to the interest of US all that they
be subjected to governmental control.
The presunptiVe evidence that this
organization is q combination in re-
straint of trade and commerce and
hence Illegal is further proved by the
/ testimony brought out in the case the
cattle interests brought before the In
terState Commerce commission last
year A representative of the Santa
F'e and of the Colorado Southern
agreed that they would not solicit bust
ness against each other, but that If, let
Billings Mont, and is delivered to the
Santa F'e to take only fifteen miles to
a junction point, yet the Colorado
Southern viii allow the Santa Fe an
absolute rate of $22 per car and takes
the balance itself.
Interstate ana Local Ek&abESs
To see clearly how arbitrary have
been the advances in the rates upon
cattle since 1900 we must compare the
interstate rates with the local rates
within the states for the same distance.
These local rates show no material adj
vances and what is more reveal the
fact that local rates are twenty to
thirty per cent lower than the inter-
state rates for similar distances. For
example Texas local rates on beef
cattle and calves, distance 500 to $50
miles, Z6 a distance $50 to 200 miles,
80 cents From Fort Worth and
north Texas points to Kansas City, a
/ distance of 500 to $50 miles, So u
cents; north Texas points to st. Louis,
distance 500 to 700 miles 421z cents.
Also further study will show that by
/ the local distance tariffs of Illinois and
/ Iowa. the rates on cattle and other
/ live stock are proportfonately still
/ lower than those of Texas, While local
rates in Kansas, Missouri and Ne
| braska are not substantially higher
! than local rates for similar distances
i IN Texas Usually interstate rates are
4 lower proportionately than interstate
rates. Here we see that by the pres
ence of a com bination and the total
/ absence of either competition or regu-
/ lation, they are much higher.
Into the causes assigned for this ad-
vance in rates and especially cattle
! rates I have gone in previous letter
AS to the general Increase in rates be-
4 ing justified by the great increase in
! operating expenses, due to an alleged
/ increase in the cost of materials and
supplies and in the wages to employees
and laborers. it can be answered that
such increases are more than offset by
/ the increased tonnage upon our rail-
/ roads and by the various economies
/ this permits. Then again the compar-
atively strict adherence to tariff rates
/ the great decrease in rebates paid
which it is said before 1902 amounted
| to ten per cent of the total freight
earnings, all in all show more clearly
! than anything else the utter made
quaey of the justification put forth by
/ the railroads for the general increase
in rates since 1900.