The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-16


get busy and collect the thousands
of dollars stolen from the furniture
dealers over the amount of the rate
to Omaha and local west of the Mis-
souri, river The facts are: the rail-
road expert" rate maker enables the
roads to place their local agents in
the position of pickpocket and
thief for them, because Of the agents
not being able to figure the true rate
to which the shipper is entitled. This
is done In like manner as is the igno-
rant child of thief taught and made
the agent to steal. Let us make this
plain. An agent, say at Kearney, who
is honest and upright in intention and
working for his road as faithful en-
ployes should work for their employer,
gets shipment billed through from
Chicago and the classification sheet
shows the goods fourth class and the
through rate to be So cents per 100
pounds and the shipment weighs TO-
600 pounds. He will naturally render
and collect an expense bill to the ship
per for $138. But there is special
rate as at Omaha from Chicago on
that commodity of 30 cents, or a total
through rate of 67 cents per 100 which
the agent does not know about. or. II
he does know, he dare not mention to
the dealer, and the dealer only knows
the tariffs local to his town. The road
pockets 81 on that car and tells us
none but an expert" rate maker can
make rates. Before we made efforts
to regulate the rates, in explaining
thir greater charge for short haul
than for longer one, they told us
the longer the haul, the less they could
make the rate, and on the ton per mile
theory that stands to reason as being
true. But we find they now make
638 mile haul on which the first 500
miles is 80 cents per 100 pounds and
the 1873 miles balance Of the haul is
also 80 cents, making 60 cents per
100 pounds for what on the ton per
mile haul with no reduction OF rate
would make 80 cent rate through
haul. The rate on our car of furni-
ture on that basis would be SIS to
Grand Island, but we find it is $12O,
and to Kearney in like manner the
rate would be AZ cents per 100 pounds
or S84 for our car as against S134. The
tax which the roads put upon us west
of the Missouri river would turn a
Turkish tax collector in Armenia green
with envy We send men to repre-
sent us in the legislature and they are
either ignorant or base enough to per-
NIT the corrupting element of rail-
roading to apply anarchy to our busi-
ness rights in this way
The germ of life in the corn produces
corn. as does the germ of other things
produce it's kind, and our railroad
friends are producing crop of an
archy, which, in their ignorance and
greed, they know not Of The time is
coming when they will cry out to such
men as is the writer to save them
from result of their crime, as does the
murderer cry out to the policeman to
save him from the mob.
A. J. GUSTIN. Kearney, Neb.
Speaking of the appropriations, Mr..
Hemmenway says: Il am advised by
those most competent to judge that the
deficiency in the revenues of the gov
ernment for the current fiscal year will
not exceed S1S,000,000. This deficiency
| is brought about by unforeseen expen-
ditures in two directions-namely, $13,-
100000 on account of new ships for
the navy and also in the probable ex-
cess of s5,o00,0O0 or s6,000,000 expen-
ditures for the postal service over the
postal receipts for 1905"
Mr.. Livingston, after giving various
expenditures, says. Contrasting Mr..
Clevelands second administration as
to appropriations with that of Mr.
Roosevelt we find that strenuous
government, dominated by the policy
of big stick costs under Mr.. Roose-
welt $220,412,329 more for the army
$258, ,1S4,157 more for the navy, $19,
ATT, ,563 more for Notifications, and fol
the three combined military purposes
$49S, ,074, $50 more than did the same
objects under Mr.. Cleveland's last foul
years of Office, sum large enough tt
erect public building in every city
and town in the country, with enough
to spare to improve every harbor and
waterway, necessary for the promotion
of our commerce; or it would have been
sufficient to construct 100000 miles OF