The Topeka state journal., 1905-01-31

circumstances and conditions clause
of demurrage, midnight tariffs, dis
elimination between individuals, dis
elimination between localities, the
| evasion of the rebate prohibition
cars, by terminal charges and the like
are known to the business world and
through the business world are be-
coming known to legislative bodies.
THE demand for the exercise OF
| legislative power of rate correction is
unnlistakable
Exact Justice, Not Injury.
1.-The railroads are of course nat
urally suspicious of the extent and the
manner in which deIegated congress
siOnal power may be applied to their
affairs. Some of them clearly mis-
judge public opinion. 1t does not
mean to be unjust. does not expect the
unreasonable, nor would it counten-
ance any process which would con-
fiscate or injure. The feeling, on the
wholly as applied by cecree, but JUS
tice as inspired by the existence and
presence and watchfuIness and ready
accessibility of a strong arbiter that
will inspire fair dealing, an arbiter
that will be as much a protection to
the railroad against the clubbing die
tations of great markets as to the
smaller shipper against the great
1.-The magnitude of the problem can
not be gainsaid. The complaint against
freight rates may mean complaint
against a rate unreasonab BILE in itself,
a rate unreasonable in its relation to
other rates, a rate unreasonable be-
cause of classification, a rate greater
for a shorter than a fonger haul. The
complaint may be on the part of a
single individual or by commercial or
ganizations representing single cities,
or organizations representing two or
more cities, or by cities, or by state
railroad commissions.
The Troubles in Kansas
kansas has her share of troubles.
The through rate from terminal to
terminal is made low because of the
presence of many competing lines os-
tensibly, but in realiyy because the
large market can dictate. In that
process the through rate from ter
minus to terminus is made low; that
is. the railroads may carry at a loss.
Now this loss is made up in part by
an overcharge in rates to Intern ediate
points. The large market which is
able to dictate gets an advantage
dictate and treated arbitrarily and
inequitably, make goo0. In the nat
uraI law of trade, the city with more
lines running into it would have Il
running into it, through the process of
competition. But granting competition
free play, and giving one city a lower
rate than another city with less rail-
roads, the rates should be proper
tional and equitable, and when they
are not rank injustice is done the city
with less railroads, an injustice which
must be corrected, and if 1 estimate
the superlative power of public opin-
ion in this country will be.
A Kansas Example.
practically any shipper in Kansas if
asked will give instantly an example of
an unequal rate. A Kansas shipper
recently gave me this Illustration:
of syrup. From Chicago to Kansas
City, a distance of o15 miles, this
commodity carries a 20 cent rate. To
wichita, a distance of 74O miles or
225 miles more, the rate is advance
to So cents per hundred. To Oklahoma
City, a distance of go miles, or ITO
miles farther on, the rate is only 54
cents. And this: From Texas rice pro-
ducing points the rate on carloads of
rice to Oklahoma City is 80 cents.
Then to Wichita, ITO miles farther the
it drops down to 35 cents-the rates
on both sides of Wichita being lower
than in Wichita.
1.-The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion was created in 1887 For ten years
it exercised two essential elements of
power in rate corrections. 1t could de-
clare an existing rate unreasonable. 1t
could declare what a reasonable rate
for the future should be. 1t could un-
In 1897 the supreme court held that
congress had not given the commission
power to declare what a reasonab BILE |