The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-17
MR.. TODD is FRANK.
Admits Arrangements Favoring
Missouri River Jobbers.
Able Addresses Made by Attor-
neys on Both Sides.

came to an end at o'clock Thursday
afternoon.
IN many ways the last day of the
hearing was the dramatic climax of
the whole proceeding. The evidence
secured by each side was important;
several witnesses made damaging adj
missions against the side which sub
poenaed them. and the closing argu-
ments were of unusual interest and
ability.
Most of the day was devoted to the
Introduction of evidence by the Mis-
souri, river jobbers and railroad COM
.panies to dfscredit the tables and
computations which had been present
ed by the attorneys and witnesses for
the interior jobbers. The work of H.
L. Resing. secretary of the Wichita
Chamber of Commerce, was the espe-
cial target of attack.
Mr.. Resting was the first witness
placed on the stand. He presented
corrections on his tables submitted the
previous day, but under a violent cross
examination, admitted that even his
corrected work might be inaccurate.
Later the railroads put r. G. Mer-
rick, division freight agent of the
Santa Fe, on the stand. and Mr.. Mer-
rick testified that considerable of Mr.
Resing's corrected" work was still in
correct He also testified that the
tables submitted DX j. y. AIeOI&G,
manager of the Hutchinson Whole
sale Grocery company. were incorrect.
but Mr.. George came to the defense
of his work, and showed that Mer-
rick s criticism was based on the as
sumption that the short line mileage
should be used in figuring the rate,
while Mr.. George contended that the
actual mileage was essential to his
purposes.
Fayors Missouri River Jobbers.
On cross examination by Mr.. Helm,
attorney for the interior jobbers, Mr..
Merrick had trouble He admitted
that under the commodity rate put in
for the benefit of Missouri river job
bers, these jobbers get an advantage
over regular class rates of Is cents
per hundred on sugar. II cents on
canned goods and coffee, and similar
advantages on other commodities.
do you know any reason why the
regular class rates should be departed
from in behalf of Missouri river job
| bers?" demanded Mr.. Helm.
IT suppose trade conditions demand
| it, was the reply
WAS it not done to let the Missouri
river jobbers into interior Kansas
1T was an attempt to equaIize rates
| to jobbers."
'Regardless of distance ?"
YES" replied the witness. These
questions were strenuously objected to
1 DY ". H. LOOMS. Union racine aTEOT-
ney, but were admitted by the board.
W. n. Todd. of the Leavenworth firm
i of Bittman & Todd. was put on as a
witness on behalf of Missouri river job
I bers. On cross-exa minatfon Mr.. Todd
was asked to explain the peculiar con
the state along the Central Branch of
/ the Missouri Pacific. All of this terri
/ tory is obliged to pay regular class rates
on groceries, instead of the much lower
commodity rates which apply to the cen
I trail and southern portions of the state.
MIR. Todd" said Mr.. Helm, docs not
this condition exist simply because the
Missouri river jobbers have no interior
Kansas competition to meet n that part
| of the state2'
Il expect that's the case" replied Mr..
Todd frankly. Competition does not
make it necessary to put in commodity
rates in the northern part of the state.
| Along the Central Branch there is no
condition necessitating the disturbance
| of the regular or class rates. If a re-
duction of rates was needed to enable
Missouri river jobbers to get in there, /
suppose we would get it,"
so you say that the railroads should
reduce their rates. even at loss, SIM
ply to let you Missouri river jobbers get
1 into the territory Of the interior job
bers?' asked Mr.. Helm.
'They should If they are phflanthro-
pists' replied the LeavenWorth man
| land they usually are. They have done
/ a great deal to build up the country
Arguments Commence.
The argument of the case commenced
about O'Clock in the afternoon. The
railroad attorneys said they were willing
to waive their arguments, but Mr. Helm
| thought that he might be able to say
i something of assistance to the board. Sc
the board decided to give each side an
hour to present its case. Mr.. Helm led
Il haven't much to say in defense OF
Mr.. Resing's testimony before this
board" said MT Helm. But do say
that I believe that his errors were due
simply to oversight in checking over ia
bles He can not be held accountable
for changes made in tariff sheet over
sThe testimony shows that the rail-
roads have deliberately sacrificed e
cents per hundred on their tariffs to
enable Missouri river jobbers to get in
to the territory Of the interior jobbers
why didn't the railroads make similar
reduction on the line Of the Central
Branch? Mr.. Todd told you Why. II Is
the policy of the rate making on Ran
sas railroads to enable Missouri river
iobbers to hog all the trade of Kansas
When the Missouri river J0bbers don't
need the assistance of cut rate the
dear people are allowed to pay the price
of class rates. The railroads seek &c
lIxiu the interior Kansas jobbing interests
ana then go back to class rates as they
already exist on the Central Branch.
s'It is for you members of the board
to decide whether the river towns ane
towns outside rf the state shall be al
lowed to choke out competition. ant
prevent the building up of Jobbins
eenters in the state Of Kansas
should be the policy of this board t
remove determinations, regardless O
the RESPONSIVENESS of the rate The
board of railroad commissioners O
Texas have repeatedly put in rates <
protect their citizens, and the courts
have upheld them.
1.-THE railroads need the protection
Of this board: they seem to be IN ths
clutches Of a powerful and dominant
influence outside the state. The DoarS
shake faIi