The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-16
Carr Taylor Not Through With
Freight Rate Fight.
Displeased With Boards De-
cisiOn in Grain Case.
COLD BLOODED BLUFF.
That Is What He Calls Threat
Against MilIers.
He Has More Complaints Ready
to File.

Carr Taylor is not through with his
fight for better freight rates in KAN
sas, nor is he satisfied with the de-
cision of the board of railroad com
missioners in the grain rate case.
TT seems to be practically conceded
by two members of the board SAYS
Mr.. Taylor, that the reduction in
rates should have been at least Is per
cent. This would undoubtedly have
been the order of the board had not
one Of the two members feared that
IS per cent reduction would bring
about a cancellation of the milling in
transit privilege.
THAT threat of the railroads was
the most cold blooded bluff that was
ever perpetrated in the state of Kan
sas- In my honest opinion, the rail-
roads had no intention of putting
such threat into effect.
rs this board of railroad commits
sioners going to allow the railroads to
retain this club in their possession to
be used whenever occasion arises to
reduce rates? I say that now was the
time for the board to fight this thing
out with the railroads. We can't af-
ford to leave the railroads in the posi-
ton of hold big stick over the board
as they did in this case, and saying, If
you reduce such and such rates, we
viii take away this milling in transit
privilege, and destroy the milling in
terests of the state
1T is just exactly the same way in
which highwayman operates his
business. He sticks a big sfx-shooter
into the face of his victim and saws
Give me your valuabIes or I will blow
your head off And that. is exactly
what the railroads have done to the
board of railroad commissioners They
have said, If you reduce the grain
rates will
worth of milling property in the state
[ Of Kansas The state of Kansas can
not afford to be bulldozed in this FASH
ion. If the railroads can't be com
PEELED to do what is right, it shows
that there is something wrong with
the laws.
Il have nc desire to injure the rail-
roads, but I was appointed to the posi-
ton which 1 occupy for the purpose Of
securing Tor Kansas square deal for
the railroads and a square deal for the
people. 1 believe that rates in many
instances are too high.
This reduction in grain rates which
the board has granted will of course
be worth a great deal of money in the
aggregate. I figure that it will save
shippers about $4.75 per car. or a total
of $150 600 for the shipments of year.
If we had received the reduction of Is
per cent that one member of the board
was willing to give, it would have saved
]
cured the reduction which I recon-
mended, it would have saved shippers
nearly $1,000. 900.
Il have not Deen informed exactly the
nature Of the order which the board win
issue in the grocery commodity case,
but am Informed that 1t is a substan-
tial victory for the interior jobbers in
the principal points at issue. The in
terror jObbefs wanted q rate by which
they would get back part way into east
"a h1-F nn
it would be giving them a fair deal if
it gave them a slight advantage on
western Kansas business. This is the
principal thing at issue in the case, and
I think the interior jObbers viii be fair
~ well satisfied"
Has Other Complaints to File.
Asked concerning his plans for future
actions against the railroads, Mr.. Tay-
lor said:
There are a good many other things
here in the state which need attention.
and I expect to take them up after the
first of the year. Nothing more in the
way of new cases will be commenced
for the present. The board has still to
decide the coal case and the salt case,
and this will give it considerable work
for a time. The coal case I consider
one of the most important cases yet
presented to the board. It affects di-
rectly so many consumers in the state
of Kansas.
zone of the things which needs atten-
ton is the high maximum rates which
prevail for local shipments. I realize
! that the railroads should be allowed to
charge more for local business than for
/ through hauls, but I believe that the
| existing rates are nov entirely too high
[ expect to bring some of these local
rates to the attention Of the board, and
/ see what can be done about them There
viii be plenty of work to keep us all
| busy even after the pending rate cases
are all settled