The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-11

This startling fact was developed by
the filing this morning of an interplea
in the grain case by thirty eight Kan
sas millers. The attorney for the mill
ers is John H. Atwood, VINO has been
fighting the battles of the railroad
corporations before the state board of
railroad commissioners, though nom
inally employed by certain shippers.
In this interplea the millers say, IN
speaking OF the milling in transit
privilege accorded them by the rail-
roads:
''These intervenors have been in
formed, and believe, and so allege the
fact to be, that a substantial reduction
of the general grain freight rates in
the state would occasion a withdrawal
OF the privilege aforesaid, and hence
a destruction of their business
If the millers have thus "been in
formed, it is certainly the railroads
that have done the informing. The
railroads have told them to get out
and fight the proposed reduction in
grain shipping rates if they would re-
tain their milling in transit privilege.
The interplea goes on to say:
'As an evidence of the fact that said
rates are reasonable, We direct the
boards s attention to the fact that under
the existing rates large milling indus
tries and other industries incident to
the grain business have been created
and builded in the state of Kansas.
That under existing conditions, the
growth of such Industries has gone on
until it approximates today twenty-five
million dollars; but with regard to the
existing freight rates upon grain in
the state of Kansas, these intervenors
do say that there is great intimacy be-
tween the rates upon raw grain and
upon the manufactured product; that
the mill owners and grain shippers
have been accorded by the railroad
companies what is known as the privi-
lege of milling in transit; that without
this privilege it would be impossible
for the milling industry in this state to
exist, and these intervenors have been
informed, and believe, and SO allege
tn fact to be, that a substantial reduc-
ton of the general grain freight rates
in the state would occasion a with
drawal Of the privilege aforesaid, and
hence destruction of their business
Tt is also cited that DEVELOPMENT of
the milling business is of importance
to the grain producers because the
presence in the state of the milling in
duStry has caused grain prices paid the
grain producers to average from three
to five cents higher per busheI than
would otherwise be the case, and as a
consequence of the existence of these
facts, it follows that destruction Of
the milling industries of the state
would be productive of widespread
injury.
The companies which sign the enter
plea are these:
Alexander Milling company of Win
field, Arkansas MilllE- company of Ar
kansas City, Aetna Mill & Elevator COM
pany of Wellington, The Blaker Milling
company Of Pleasanton, the Central
Kansas Milling company Of Lyons, the
Caldwell Milling company of Caldwell,
the Eagle Milling company of Newton,
the Forest Park Milling company of
Ottawa, the Harper Mill & Elevator
company of Harper, the Hunter Milling
company of wellington, the Halstead
Milling & Elevator company of Hal
stead, the Hutchinson Mill company Of
Hutchinson, the Chanute Milling COM
pany of Chanute, the Inman Mill COM
pany of Inman, the Lyons Milling COM
pany of Lyons, the Norwich Mill &
Elevator company OF Norwich, the Mon
arch Mil company, Hutchinson, the
New Era, Milling company Of Arkansas
City. the Newton Milling & Elevator
company of Newton, the Oswego Milling
company of Oswego, the Olathe Mill &
Elevator company of Olathe, the PhOe-
nix Roller Mills company Of EdgertOn,
the Patterson Milling company of
Coffeyville, the NJ Sauer Milling COM
pany Of CheTryvale, the wellington Mill
& Elevator company Of wellington, the
Forsha Milling company of F'orsha, the
Humboldt Water Mills company of
Humboldt Water Mills company of
company of Great Bend. the CTamer
Milling company Of Anthony, the King
man Milling company of kingman, the
Nickerson Milling company Of Nieker-
son, the Sedan Milling company Of Sc
dan, EmDoria Water Mills company of
EInporia, Ellinwood Mill & Elevator
company of EIIinwood. Janett & Adoffitt
of Peabody. Wesley Best & Sons. Colun-
bus. Larrabee Flour Mills company Of
Stafford. Universal Mills Of Clafiin-
Petitions From shippers Coming.
It is evident. however, that the Grain
shippers are not going to allow the case