The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-08
ON RATES.
Kansas and Missouri Fix Up
Stock Yards Deal.
Only Small Reductions Are
Recommended by Committees.
MAY CHARGE MORE.
Advance of 80 Cents Per Hundred
in Hay.
Also % Cents Per Bushel More
Than Cost OF Corn.
Az CHARGE MORE.

mittee representing the Missouri Iegis-
lature at Kansas City Tuesday, and at
ter an inspection of the stock yards.
held a secret session in the stock ex-
change rooms, at which a bill was
drafted for the purpose of controlling
the Kansas City stock yards. The bill
will be presented to both the Missouri
and Kansas legislatures.
On the committee representing Kan
sas were Senators Tucker and Hayden
and Representatives Beeson, White and
Plumb.
The measure to be reported fixes the
yardage charge for cattle at 20 cents,
hogs 6 cents. sheep cents, and calves
10 cents. When the rates now charged
in Missouri are taken into considera-
ton these charges do not seem radical.
in the opinion of the committeeman.
The yardage fee for cattle is now 25
cents; for sheep 8 cents; for hogs 6
cents and calves cents. In Kansas the
rate for cattle is is cents, for sheep 4
cents and calves cents.
The proposed bill also fixes the prices
that may be charged for hay and corn
for feeding stock at the yards. The law
in Kansas now permits the company to
demand 100 per cent more than the
purchase price. The bill proposes to al
low a. charge of only 80 cents per 100
pounds above the price paid by the
company for hay and % cents a bushel
above the market price for corn The
percentage plan, in other words. is
abolished The penalty clause of the
bill provides a fine of not more than
500 for the first and not less than $500
nor more than $1,000 for each subse-
quent violation.
This sort of a report was agreed to
by almost unanimous vote. The only
dtssenter was Geo. Humphrey, senator
from Shelby county. Missouri. Humph-
reg said he thought that the stock
yards people would be unable to do
business If the proposed schedule of
rates should be put into effect.
In the afternoon session several men,
shippers chosen at random in the yards,
complained against the yardage fee of
twenty-five cents a head. Few believed
they ever received full weight when
they bought feed for stock. Sometimes
grain was measured carefully, but Of
ten a. quantity in a sack supposed" to
be a busheI, would be thrown into a
box. The corn and hay sold by the
Stock Yards company was said to be of
good quality. tFa7
T. r. Eamarl, a coran1lssion agent for
fourteen years at the Kansas City
stock yards, said he had heard no
special complaints within a year that
the yard facilities were inadequate.
the alleys and viaducts from the Kan
sas side of the line had caused dissat-
isfaction. Some men would object to
paying ten cents a head for yardage,
Mr. Eaman thought He had known
of complaints against .yardaSe and
feed charges. Mr.. Eaman said he
knew of nothing to indicate the exist
ence of a combine to smother cOmpe-
tition. Members of the committee
asked many questions along this line,
hIIf 81 r7n inf
their suspicious. Mr.. Eaman said the
bulk of the cattle received in Kansas
City were unloaded on the Kansas side
and driven into Missouri to be weigh
ed. They are fed on the Missouri side.
J. H. I.ampe of the Drumm Com
mission company, said he had known
of no complaints about yard and feed
charges, but knew that much trouble
and expense resulted because or poor
facilities for handling stock. These
adverse conditions had existed since
the enactment of the law in Kansas
reducing and regulating charges, the
Stock Yards company having, SINCE
that time, compelled shippers to have
their stock driven from Kansas into
Missouri after unloading He favored
the passage of a uniform law in Mis-
souri, and Kansas containing the same
He believed such legisla-
ton would be beneficial even to the
Stock Yards company. Confined en-
barrassment was caused because OF
two states, each with different laws,
the stock yards He knew
of no combination in restraint of COM
petition
Mr.. Lampe did not think the stock
yards company could sell corn thirty
cents above the market price and
make anything. The company had to
have the same number of teams and
wagons ready all day to distribute
feed. "It is not question of feed
charges said the witness. 1T is poor
service that causes the losses and trou-
oIe Whenever Missouri and Kansas
get together on laws to govern these
yards Wen have a, good market and
one that will grow. Not before. Per-
1 have diverted thousand
cars of stock from Kansas City be-
cause of poor facilities here to handle
tn m."
An amusing incident took place at
the afternoon session. A certain COM
mission man had been asked a ques-
ion which he considered somewhat
After studying for a
or two he said, suddenly, to
The chairman, Mr.. Purdy:
Lets see. you're from Missouri,
aren't you?''
Yes the chairman replied.
''Well,'' said the witness. "on this
side of the room I'm in Kansas. I be-
ieve, and I'll have to refuse to an
swer"
Amid general laughter it was ex-
planned that half OF the room was
thought to be in Kansas and half in
Missouri, whereupon Chalk Beason of
Ford county, Kansas, moved his chair
INTO his own state and put the ques-
ion again for the NfissOurfan. It was
only pleasantly, but It relieved the
Mr. Rust described the stock yards
in Kansas and Missouri and
after showing that twenty-six states
sent their live stock to this market
the yardage and feed
charges here and in other yards. This
showed that the Kansas City fees were
either the same or slightly less than
n other markets. The yards. he said,