The Topeka state journal., 1905-05-05
IT'S A HARD TASK
Struggle Over Missouri River
Rate Has Commenced.
Problem Will Be a Struggle Be-
tween JObbers.
TAKE AWAY FAVORS.
Would Place All Upon an Equal
Footing.
How the Eastern Wholesalers
Have the Advantage.

-o%-A---CN--~5
almost the same as a political death
warrant for the members Of the board
OF railroad commissioners, said well
known politician the other day. TT is
fight of the Missouri river iobbers
against all the other jobbers of the
state, and whichever way the board. de-
cides, it will have the other crowd to
fight"
Geographically, the board of railroad
commissioners may be said to be equal
~ divided on the proposition. George
Wheatley lives at Galena. and viii nat
urally inclined toward the Pittsburg,
Fort Scott, Kansas City and Atchison
Jobbers. who want the board to allow
tne railroads to continue the Missouri
river rates. J. w Robinson comes from
HI Dorado in Butler county. his SYM
pathies are of course with Wichita.
Hutchinson, Salina, Topeka, and the in
terror Jobbing points. A. D. Walker OF
Hotton is half way between Topeka and
Atchlson: 1t is hard to tell where his
sympathies are.
No one can deny that the Missouri
river rate" as it now exists. is chiefly
OF benefit to the Kansas City No. and
st. Joseph. Mo, wholesale grocery.
houses They are the ones who are
really putting up the fight for its re-
tention. It is without doubt an unfair
scheme, which gives the big 5obbers and
wholesale grocery concerns at Kansas
CITY and St Joe an advantage in the
Kansas field.
It is a significant fact that the Kan
sas City papers say that Atchison and
| Leavenworth will make the fight before
the board, but that kansas City and
indirectly"
The Kansas City papers also tell
what terrible thing it would be for
Kansas to leave this great state de-
pendent upon ''the small iobbine houses
! moi
the Kansas City and St Joseph con-
Germs are greatly distressed for fear
that the small interior jobbers'' Will
get fair show and develop their busi-
ness to large proportions so that they
can hold their own against Kansas City.
It is only by means Of unjust discrimi-
nation that the Kansas City and st.
Joseph iobbers are able to compete
throughout the whole state of Kansas,
while the Kansas Jobbers at Topeka.
Salina, Hutchinson and Wichita are
limited to n small district Immediately
surrounding them
All that the interior jobbers ask is
that they be given the same show that
the Missouri river points have.
Railroads Smooth Scheme.
It has been claimed by the railroads
that they did not put in the Missouri
river tariffs of their own accord; that
they were forced to do this by COM
petition.
Now they say that they are willing
to with draw these special favors to the
Missouri river points, but that they
don't want to get into trouble with the
Missouri jobbers, who might make
things uncomfortable for them. So
they have very cleverly sidestepped
the dilemma by placing the whole re-
spOnSibility on the state board OF rail-
road commissioners
BY Offering to withdraw the in
iquitOus Missouri river rates, the rail-
roads have practically admitted, in a
public way. what they have not de-
MED at any time; that the rates were
discrimination against jobbers at in
terror points.
Of course the only just and equit-
able thing for the board of railroad
cOmnissi iOners to do at their meeting
on May II is to allow the railroads to
withdraw the Missouri river COM
modify rates. as they have requested
permission to do.
From BIissouri's Viewpoint
The Kansas City papers are OF
course greatly agitated by the possi-
bility that the Missouri jobbers will be
obliged to compete for Kansas busi-
ness on equal terms with Kansas Job
bers. The Kansas City Journal con-
tains this defense of the Missouri river
rate system:
'When the Rock Island and ths
Santa Fe railroads asked the Kansas
state board of railroad and warehouse
commissioners few days ago thai
they be allowed to abolish the cons
!
points they made a dangerous move in
the game of corralIing trade territory.
OF course the next move falls to the
Missouri river jobbing points, at least
they are planning to t5 Ike a move be-
fore the Kansas board acts on the rail-
roads application, and jobbers here
are confident that they have Iongshot
combination play to spring that will
cause the railroads to withdraw their
application. The move the Missouri
river jObbers will make is all sub rosa
now, but it was sized up by one job
Der yesterday as an appeal to the con-
sumner and a shin-kfck at the railroads
that is about due to be in the money,
heavily backed by the jObbing inter-
ests of Kansas City, Leavenworth.
Atchison and St. Joseph-the sOcalled
Missouri river jobbing points.
1.-THE Rock Island and the Santa F6
dled the application before the Kansas
board for all lines and the board viii
hold its deliberations on May II at
Topeka. LeavenWorth and Atchison
jobbing interests will be on hand to
fight any attempt to abolish commodi-
ty rates by the state board, and Kansas
CITY and st. Joseph will work before
the board indirectly. The jobbers held
meetings yesterday in all Missouri
river points and their plan OF cam
paign is outlined
s.TThe Missouri river jobbing points
will fight to retain the present COM
modify rates or groceries fer the reason
that the present rates show no discrin-
ination whatever against the interior
iobbers-the jObbers who have induced
the railroads to try and abolish the
rates. should the Kansas board of rail-
road commissioners choose to grant the
aDDlication of the railroads, the Mis-
souri, river points will lose all Kansas as
tributary territory and the Kansas con-