The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-12
THEY WIN APPOINT
Missouri River Hardware Men
Get Into HOckaday Case.
Carr Taylor Tries in Vain to
Prevent 1t.
S GIVEN A WEEK.
Attorney for River Jobbers
Gains Time.
Another Scene in Contest of the
Wholesalers.


road commissioners Tuesday afternoon
to allow the Missouri river hardware
jobbers to reopen the jobbers' hardware
rate case, and present an intervening
petition asking for reduction in local
rates from Missouri river points into
Kansas.
Here is a brief statement of the pres
ent condition:
have asked a reduction in carload lot
rates from Missouri river points to
Wichita, Salina and Hutchinson.
Missouri river jobbers have asked a
reduction in less than carload lots to
restore present ratios.
The board allowed John H. Atwood,
attorney for the Missouri river jobbers,
one week in which to file his interven-
ing petition at which time the board
will fix time for arguments.
Carr Taylor, attorney for the board,
was opposed to allowing the interview
ing petition. He said it would estab-
lish bad precedent to reopen case
after it was all ready to be decided. He
thought it would interfere with future
business.
When the board met Wednesday it
was with the intention of deciding the
interior Kansas petition. The arguments
had been made, and briefs filed. The
suit was started by the Hockaday
Hardware company of Wichita. Then
the Lee company of Salina and the
Colladay company of Hutchinson Joined
with HOckaday. These petitioners set
forth that in buying carload lots of
hardware, the freight rate from Mis-
souri, river points to Wichita, Salina
and Hutchinson is nearly twice as much
as for a corresponding distance out
side
Such a reduction, the Missouri river
jobbers claimed, would give the interior
| jobberS monopoly on the Kansas field.
They asserted that it is the invariable
experience that jobbers get business
west of their location, and are unable
to reach far to the east.
IF you put in this rate said Mr..
Atwood, you establish Mr.. Hockaday
| in little principality in which he will
be supreme monarch. You will have the
| pleasure of seeing balloons hitched to
prices on hardware in this state. You
gentlemen must prevent such condt
| ton. There is no one here to represent
consumers"
I'm here to represent the consumers,
| the people of the state,'' said Carr Tay-
| lor. What we want is equality of
rates for all jobbers. We only want it
fixed so that consumers will get fair
deal. Why is it worse for interior job
bers to get the same rates west of
their location that Missouri river job
bers get west of their location?'
Two wrongs don't make a right
| said Mr. Atwood Let us take more
| time and look over this whole thing. If
| conditions are bad in the east why
make them ee;unlIy bad in the west:-'
E. P. Wilson, of the Great Western
Stove foundry at Leavenwortll, said
that it was proper and right for rates
to be lower in the eastern part of the
state than in the west because traffic is
more dense. He said, 1.-The further west
you go, the higher the rate
Three or four firms which were al
lowed to file intervening petitions were
the Great Western Stove company, of
Leavenworth, the A. j. Harwi company,
of Atchison, the Blitz-Mize company, of
Atchison, and J. w. GRANGER and COM
pany, of I-eavenworth. All of these
firms are represented by John H. At
wood.
These firms assert that they are not
opposing the desires of the interior job
bers for a reduction in rates: that they
merely ask the board, at the same time
it grants one reduction, to grant a re-
duction so that they can ship goods to
their customers in the state of Kansas
at less cost
Mr.. Atwood will prepare and file q
new petition setting forth the exact
amount of the reductions which the
| Missouri river jobbers want. This new
DC tition will then have to be sent to all
| the railroad companies and they will
| have an opportunity to get into the case
| if they so desire. Peg.