The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-16
A RATION COAL.
j. T. White Here to Get a Better
One.
Fuel For Threshers Is Too High
He Says.
BAY APPEAL TO BOARD
Would Open Up a Much Dis
cussed Question.
Believe That Whole Situation
VIII BE CanYassed.
BAY APPEAL TO BOARD

J. T. White. representative in the
state legislature from Ottawa county,
Is in Topeka today for the purpose of
inducing the state board of railroad
commissioners to take up the investiga-
ton of the Kansas coal freight rates,
provided he is unable to secure from
the Santa Fe officials this afternoon an
agreement to make a material reduc-
ton in the rate charged for shipping
thresh3ng amchine coal to the wheat
belt this summer.
AT the present time" says Mr..
White, the Santa Fe charges S125 a
ton to haul slack coal from Pittsburg
to Sterling. and it charges $2.25 a ton
to haul nut coal. the kind we need for
the thrashers. We can't understand
why it should cost so much more to
haul nut than to haul slack. and We
propose to get some sort of a readjust-
ment. L am to have a conference this
afternoon with the Santa Fe freight
officials, and hope to be able to secure
the concessions which we demand with
out making fight But unless we can
get the proper concessions. I expect to
at once file complaint before the
board, and settle this thing right here.
There is no possible reason why the
railroads should charge so much more
for the grade they call factory coal.
We also have some complaint as to the
rate charge for the length of haul Some
towns which are 50 miles closer to the
fields than others have to pay more
freight rates The tariffs do not seem
to be adjusted according to any rational
basis and We want to nave this whole
matter taken uD and equalized
am informed that the state board
OF commissioners is preparing to go into
a thorough investigation Of all the coal
rates of the state. ana that our case
would naturally come up at that .ine.
we are very anxious, however, to have
this whole thing fixed up before the
next wheat harvest. We do not want
to have to pay such exOroitant rates for
coal all during the threshing season"
General Overhauling.
Tt is known that the state railroad
board is getting ready for a general
Overhauling of the coal rate situation
as stated by MI. White. The board is
waiting until it has collected all the
n necessary facts and figures, showing
the exact conditions of the Kansas
field. 1t viii then proceed under the
terms of the new railroad law, and
viii adjust the rates, and order the
railroad companies to put in new tar
ifs where the Old ones are too high
Under the new law, the attorney for
the board, Carr Taylor, would bring
the complaint and the board would
give the case a hearing, with both
sides represented. The railroad COM
panies would be given full opportunity
to defend themselves.
1t seems as though it would not
take very long to present all the evil
dence there is in justification of the
present unfair rates on coal
The way things are now the rail-
roads are contributing thousands of
dollars every year to build UP the fac
tories and shops of Kansas City. Mo,
and is doing it at the expense of Kan
sas. 1t makes low rates on coal to
Kansas City, and high rates on coal
to Kansas. Kansas pays for hauling
the coal to Kansas City Mo.
So long as these unjust conditions
continue. it will be impossible for the
interior cities of Kansas to compete
with Missouri in the erection of fac
tories No factories will come to a
town where fuel is high.
The sooner the Kansas commission
ers get to work on the Encouragement
of coal rates, the better it will be for
the state.