The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-17
HEARING FROM II.
Organized Effort to Defeat
Withdrawal River Rate.
Railroad Commissioners Get
Protests From Merchants.

What seems to be an organized at
tempt on the part of the Missouri
river Jobbing houses to defeat the
withdrawal of the Missouri river com
modify rates is putting in an appear
ance- This attempt is apparently
timed to influence the action of The
state board of railroad commissioners
at the hearing of the commodity rate
proposition which is set for Monday.
Communications signed by retailers
along the eastern border of the state
are being received by the railroad
commissioners, protesting against the
proposed withdrawal of the rate. The
commercial club at Pleasanton. in
Linn county, has passed resolutions on
the subject.
Just what is inspiring these COM
munications does not appear on the
surface. but it is supposed to be the
travelling men sent out by the Kansas
City grocery jObbers. Kansas CITY is
criminative rates should stand, and it
is natural that the Kansas City travel
ing men should encourage their Gus
toners to send in protests. The Kan
sas City people contend that the with
drawal of the commodity rates will re-
suit in q large increase in the price Of
groceries to consumers. This is de-
MED by the interior jobbers, but the
burden of the complaints which have
been received is the Kansas City al
legation concerning high prices.
The following communication with
twenty-five signatures. is in the form
of petition, and seems to have been
carried down the eastern tier of counties
by some industrious agent of the Mis-
souri, river towns:
I'VE understand that you are to decide
on June 10 whether to continue the pres
ent rates from the Missouri river on
sugar, coffee, canned goods and beans,
or whether to advance these rates.
Knowing that it is your desire to re-
ceive information on the matters that
come up before your board we venture
to state that it would be a great injus-
tice to the citizens of the state to adj
vance the rates on these four important
articles. of merchandise, as such action
would put a heavy tax upon the people
by increasing the cost of living, and we
respectfully ask that you deny the re-
quest of the railroads to raise rates.
PIeasantOn was not satisfied with
signing the remonstrance, but had a
meeting of the Commercial club called
and the following resolution passed:
Resolved, That the Pleasanton Com
mercial club at a special meeting held
June 16S 1905, hereby protests against
! the proposed raise in freight rates by
the railroads of Kansas on coffee, sugar
/ canned goods and beans and we earn
| estly request your honorable board &c
refuse to grant this proposed raise, be-
! lieving that the rates are high enough
as they are and that it is to the interest
of the people of the state that the rates
be not raised.
"B. F. BLAKER. President.
~. FRANK SMITH, Secretary
The only protest to come thus raj
from any point west of Topeka Is
from Minneapolis, in Ottawa county
with seven names attached. It fol
lows:
eve the undersigned merchants OF
Minneapolis. Kan, respectfully urge
that you allow no change to be made
! in the present commodity rates for
the reason that if this rate is abolish
ed and q higher rate established it will
add thousands of dollars of extra e71-
Dense which must be borne by the
people of Kansas, as it will add in
creased cost to every bushel of beans
and every hundred pounds Of sugar
sold in the state"