The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-18
81 CHEsIGR ARIHuR Ice. in the Boston transcend.

N that vast inland empire, extend
ing from northern Nebraska to
Texas and from the Missouri
river to the Rocky mountains,
there have been built up by tPe
combined action of geograp htcaI
location and undue aid by the rail-
roads, three large inland cities-kan-
sas City, No, st. Joseph and Omaha.
All the products and commerce or TINS
vast section have been forced by sys-
tern of rate making, embOdying rank
injustice, through these gateways. or
the Missouri river. This system mas
been to make these cities the key, or
as a traffic man terms it, the con-
gtructive basis of the rates for the
whole section, which has resulted IN
putting these cities in absolute control
OF the entire commercial and indus
trial situation The advantages thus
given to these basing line points mas
resulted also in greatly retarding the
growth of interior sections in urban
population and comm erelal enterprise
This 1t appears to me lis q nauonai ca
lamity, for in place OF dozens, or nu ll-
dreds OF small cities with populations
varying from ten to fifty thousand
even now, and it is growing more SER
ious every year, these three cities are
growing to an abnormal slze-presenl-
ing all the social and political evils
peculiar to such an environment.
In the years gone by, the towns OF
central and southern Kansas and Ne
braska and northern Texas were but
consuming centres and agricultural
depots. Today these towns are reach
ing out and demand that they be al
lowed to grow as jobbing centres as
well. The demand Of these towns
such as Wichita, Hutchinson, etc. on
Kansas Lincoln, Nebraska and Fort
Worth, Texas. besides scores of others,
has Immediately set in motion a storm
of protest from the basing cities
which still continues circulated
very freely among the large 1oDDers
of Kansas City and Omaha and think
understand their attitude exactly.
They all said I'VE are opposing this
movement of national regulation OF
rates for one reason only, and that
not philanthropic, but one of simple
business. We now have the whip
hand We compel these small towns
and cities to buy their farming ma
chinery, groceries, dry goods, etc, at
Kansas City and Omaha; under ma
tional regulation they might be able
to order from the manufacturers and
national supply houses in the east upon
the same terms, as we do or with very
little disadvantage. Our interests lie
Ia getting the local rates from the
east higher if anything and keeping
the rates to the west as they are"
How Discrimination Hurts.
An illustration of the practical ap-
plicatiOn Of this system to the inter
iOr points will speak more forCibly
time Of writing, the rate on rope from
San Francisco to Kansas City, Mo, in
carloads is sixty cents per 100 pounds,
To Hutchinson, kan, through which
city 1t must so to arrive at the Mis-
souri, river and which town is 220
miles nearer the Pacific coast, the "a
is $1.01, or. the sum of the rates to the
Missouri river and back to Hutchin-
son. Again, let US take sugar, which
includes coffee, also; from New Or
leans and Galveston to Kansas City
the rate is thirty-two cents, but to
Wichita, Kan, nearer to the Gulf. on
a great part Of the sugar passing
through the city on its way to Kansas
City, the rate is forty cents. These
two Illustrations are typical of the en-
tire system by which the supremacy
of the comm rctaI centres on the baS-
ing lines is maintained.
The situation in the southwest cen
tiers around the young, energetic and
progressive city of Kansas City, Mo.
It is the "open door, to all that vast
territory to the southwest of it which
is today growing with marvellous ra-
pidity in population, industry and com
merce. In this one city alone centre
eighteen of the strongest railroad sys-
TENS in the west, with thirty-tWo dis
tinct lines ramifying in every direction
and tapping every section OF the coun-
try. 1t Is said in Kansas City that the
country tributary to it produces fifty
one per cent Of all the corn, forty per
cent of the cattle, forty-fiye per cent
of the cotton and tWenty-one per cent
of all the wheat raised in the United
States, and [ believe it. It is the sec
oud largest milling centre in the coun-
try. the largest distribution centre of
agricultural implements and one OF
the greatest live stock markets in the
world.