The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-12
AZ n GRAIN RATEs-


lively few complaints regarding
freight rates on grain until within the
last year or two, the grain rate case
now on hearing before the state board
of railroad commissioners is the most
important rate question that can come
UP in Kansas.
Coal rates are of considerable i'm
portance, but they are vital only to
manufacturing fnterests-the mills and
factories. Jobbers have made many
complaints about rates on the goods
they handle, but these are chiefly inn
portant in enabling Kansas jobbers to
compete with those from further east;
the majority of the people are only in
directly interested in them, or directly
interested only to q small extent. The
newspapers complain of the paper
rates, which are enormous west of the
Mississippi river, but comparatively
few people are affected by them to a
great degree
But the grain rate is different. Prob
ably half the states population pay
freight on grain. Many farmers, par
ticularly in the wheat belt, pay hun
dreds OF. dollars every year to the rail-
roads for hauling away their grain. It
wheat belt 500 for every 200 bush
els of wheat he raises to ship it only to
Kansas City.
Cattlemen have often complained Of
the live stock rates, because stockmen
usually ship their own stock to Kansas
City and they pay their freight direct,
so they have realized that every dollar
Of freight comes out of their own peck
ats
just than grain rates, considering the
service required, and there is now COM
paratively little complaint from stock
men concerning rates. If cattlemen
can get good service-prompt and
speedy shipment of their cattle so that
they will arrive at the market in good
shape-they are willing to pay for it.
Farmers who raise grain, however,
have not realized how great a tax on
them transportations is until recently.
The price of wheat is made in Liver
pool, Chicago and Kansas city. The
farmer formerly sold his wheat to some
| local grain dealer. and the grain dealer
deducted the freight rate, his profit and
the commission charges from the Kan
sas City price to ascertain what he
/ should pay the farmer Thus the farmer
paid the freight, but not directly, and he
has had too many other troubles in the
past to bother about those that did not
come directly to his attention
But in late years the farmer has be-
gun to ship his own grain. He has
formed cooperative shipping associa-
tions, and through these he has discov-
cred just what he is paving for freight.
The rate is 141z cents a hundred from
such points as COncordia, Minneapolis,
Salina, Mcpherson and Wichita, along
the eastern edge of the wheat belt, 10
Kansas City. This is approximately SS5
for car of a thousand bushels for d
200-mile haul, and the rate increases
further west III the wheat belt. Yet the
railroads win haul the same wheat more
than three times as far, to the Gulf Of
Mexico, for II cents a bushel. The
farmers of southern Kansas are much
nearer the Gulf. by the Santa Fe and
Rock Island. than is Kansas City, yet
if the farmer tries to ship to Galveston
it costs him S01z cents a hundred.
From Kansas City to Liverpool is ap-
proximately 5000 miles. To ship wheat
there it must be hauled from Kansas
City to the Atlantic seaboard. reloaded
from the car to a ship and then carried
across the Atlantic. The ST Paul road
has recently made a rate Of 2S1a cents
for that service. less than half what
Kansas roads charge for hauling the
same grain 200 miles.
Unlike cattle. grain does not have
to be rushed through to market on fast
freight There is comparatively little
risk about 1t. The shipper attends to
the loading and unloading. The cars
are usually returned to the grain belt
| filled with merchandise which also pays
a. high rate. But notwithstanding these
facts. grain rates are comparatively
| higher than live stock rates.