The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-06
SALT MEN WIN.
Secure Big Rate Concessions
From Railroads.
Kansas Product Can Now Be
Sent East.
IMPORTANT VICTORY.
Means Thousands of Dollars to
Local Men.
will Try to Get Better Rate on
Coal.
IMPORTANT VICTORY.

of low Morton. one of the head men
fin the salt trust. the railroads have
voluntarily made concessions in rates
to the Kansas salt fields which promise
to he worth millions of dollars to the
Kansas salt producers.
The stone wall of railroad rate
manipulation which has kept Kansas
salt west of the Missouri river has peeh
DESTROYED at one blow. and Kansas SAT-
vvin. under the proposed concession De
able to drive Michigan salt off the mar
ket as far east as the Mississippi river
and as far north as Wisconsin. IN
other words the same rate that has
been paid for hauling salt from Kansas
to Missouri river points will now haul
salt to Mississippi river points
This is the concession which the IN
dependent salt producers have for ten
years fought in vain to obtain. Ihey
have been as completely shut off from
selling salt one station east of Kansas
city as though that station were within
ten miles of the Michigan salt works.
What was absolutely impossible Tor
the Kansas Independents has been
done in an instant. without the slight
est apparent difficulty. and the hand Oh
Joy Morton is generally DeueNe0 10
have been the moving power.
There seems to be difference OF
opinion as to what caused JOY Morton
to change his allegiance from Michigan
to Kansas as he seems to have done
Morton has for some years been doing
most Of his business from the Michi-
gan fields, and the independent salt
men say that for this reason, he has
caused the making of freight tarlfTS
which have shut Kansas salt out Of all
territory east of the Missouri river Up
in Michigan they have a salt Pro-
ducers association. Morton has acted
as sort of selling agent from this com
bination 1t is said that some of the
members of the Michigan combine be
came dissatisfied with MOrton's man
agement and withdrew To punish
these rebellious salt men, and perhaps
to crush them. is said TO be the reason
that Morton has secured from the rail-
roads their amazing and voluntary
concession to Kansas. The Kansas
wing Of the salt trust viii now be de-
velOped for all 1T is worth, and a mar
ket viii be opened for several million
more barrels of Kansas salt every year.
This concession of rates IS made by
the joint action of the Santa Fe, Rock
Island. Missouri Pacific and Frisco.
The Union Pacific is not represented
thus far, though it Is claimed that It
viii get into line
Independents Want More.
The independent salt producers.
now ever now tIdL LlGY nave found
the trust willing and anxious to make
a concession on rates east of the Mis-
souri,. are demanding concessions in
Kansas rates in line with the reduc-
tions which were ordered some time
ago by the board. They also demand
a fat rate Of 81 per ton on coal 10
all salt producing points. They say
that the present rate of S1.25 per ton
on slack coal to Hutchinson is used
as blind. that it furnishes an easy
opportunity for rebating to the salt
trust. They intimate that the salt
trust is already getting its coal at 81
2 ton, while the Independents have to
pay SIPS
1t is possible that the INDEPENDENTS
may force these concessions because
the Joy Morton crowd want the state
board Of railroad commissioners to
Withdraw the federal court suits now
penang IN so far as those suits relate
to the salt company. Not only must
the board consent to this withdrawal
but Carr Taylor as we'll
In this connection the theory is ad-
Vanced that il this suit should come
TO trial. and JOY Morton and other sa If
magnates should be placed on the wit
ness stand there would be some dis
closures Of most sensational nature
It is possible that It is fear of such
disclosures that has prompted the
railroads to fix up a truce with the
The railroad com panies have siznf-
ned g disposition to make the conces-
sious substantially as requested nv tbA
BOARD OF railroad commissioners and
by the Independent salt men. A
scheduie of their proposed reductions
IS now being drawn up, and will be
presented to the board of railroad
commissioners this afternoon. Some
OF the Independent salt men are wait
4ns IN Topeka to hear the result of
the conference.
The Independent salt men, however
consider it as 2 Joke that they were
summoned 10 come to Topeka to attend
This conference with the railroads. They
say that they are simply dummies and
We're called here merely for the general
sHecJ IN the tableau. The railroads
ana the salt trust wanted it to aDpesr
1nat every body had a hand in the pro
ceedlngs. The independent salt rnen.
however, were simply informed Of The
concessions which the railroads had de-
clded to make. They were told that
maintained
May Bring on a Big Rate War.
II is likely that the enormous conees-
slons IN rates by the Santa Fe and
ether lines win precipitate rate war
with the @. 3. & O. which fans fI7e
Michigan field and has line to Rea+-
nee, Neb.. and Kansas City. The Bur
Angton is not a party to the agree
nent, ard there are rumors that this
line. ana other lines east of the Mis-
slsslppl river viii join in and try to
force the Santa Fe and its al1ise ~
withdraw the proposed concessions.
Ihe santa F'e, however. has not gone
into this action blindly, and it would
douotless protect its position by fur
sher reductions. All the lines vvo11Id
carry salt for nothing until tired of
the fun, and then some sort of a com
promise would be patched up.
But what the eastern lines will do re-
mains a mystery. They may accept
the situation, and allow Kansas salt
90 take away a big slice of Micbfran
aarrltory without q strngrIs 49, -