The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-26
CUT IN The RATES
Senate Makes Reduction of 10
Per Cent for Freight.
Applies Only to Grain and Its
Products.
VOTE WAS NOT CLOSE.
Only Two Senator's Opposed on
Final Passage.
First Test Vote Stood % for,
I3 Against.
VOTE WAS NOT CLOSE.

1
| BY a vote of 25 to Is, the Kansas
senate on Monday afternoon adopted
the Senator Smith plan for horizon
tai cut in grain and grain products
freight rates of Is per cent. and thus
| blazed the trail for further senate leg
| islation on the maximum rate proDo-
sition.
On the final passage of the bill. the
vote was Sc to = Senators Waggener
and Dolley voting against the bill
Waggener voted against it because ne
was opposed to any form of freight
rate regulation aside from the plan
proposed in his resolution to leave the
board of railroad commissioners, with
$25, 900 to pay the cost CT investigation
of the freight rate proposition Sena--
tors Caldwell and Quincy were absent
when the final vote was. taken.
After the debate on the Smith
amendment, reducing the amount OF
the cut in rates from Is, as provided
in the committee bill, to Is per cent,
had been opened up by Senator Smith,
Senator Brewer of Dickinson spoke IN
favor of the Is per cent cut. He said
the saving to his district would be
100000 a year, and to the state OF
Senator Porter of Montgomery de-
clared that he was in favor of re-
duction in grain rates. The only
question is" he continued, "how much
of a cut can we make. Consider what
a cut of Is per cent means in any
business enterprise. I had not sup
posed it would amount to as much as
stated by the gentleman from Dickln-
son.
Next came Senator Hodges. of john
son county, one of the Democratic
members, who said the state of Kan
sas was contributing too much to the
II
amend the amendment of Senator
Smith to provide for a reduction of 20
per cent.
Senator Stannard, of Franklin coun-
II believe" he said, I'VE should be
conservative. Let us get a fair rate
now and be satisfied
Senator Baker of Linn was in favor
of the Is per cent cut.
Senator Young of Mitchell county
presented figures on earnings and ex-
penses in favor of the 20 per cent cut.
Senator Robertson admitted that he
didn't know much about freight rates.
81 am simply a juror in this matter,
said Mr.. Robertson. Mr.. Robertson
thought the people want IS per cent.
Senator Getty of Wyandotte said he
thought 20 per cent would be too
much and would support an Is per
cent" he said. I'VE are getting close
to the line where the railroads might
successfully contest the rate
The Hodges 20 per cent amendment
was defeated.
The Smith amendment to cut the
rates Is per cent was carried by a vote
of 25 to 10. This was the test vote on
the bill.
senator Smith then amended the
bill to cover wheat, corn. rye, oats,
barley, millet seed, and their products,
kaffir corn and its products. and al
falfa seed, instead of merely wheat
and corn.
Senator Robertson moved to add
hay to the list. The motion was lost.
Senator Young moved to add brick,
lime, stucco and cement to the list
he withdrew the motion.
Senator Smith then presented an
amendment allowing the continuation
of the milling and cleaning in transit
privilege.
Senator Waggener offered an
providing that the state
on application revise, change, lower or
raise the rates provided.
There is a niger in the woodpile
in that amendment said Senator
Smith. The amendment was defeated.
because the members didn't want to
leave it to the railroad board to raise
the maximum
The motion to report the bill favor
ably was then made and carried. The
committee rose, to resume its session
at 1890 this morning.
When the matter came up on tn e
floor of the senate, another effort was
made by the opponents of the bill to
put the senate on. record. Senator
Tucker moved that the senate dis
agree with that part of the report
changing the amount of the reduction
from Is to 15. On this proposition a
roll call was secured and it stood %
to IA, the line UP being as follows:
For the motion: Dolley. Fulton,
Getty. Hodges. Huffman. Lower. Mar
tin of Bourbon. Martin of Woodson,
Quincy. Robertson. Simons, Stewart,
Tucker, Young-14.
Against the motion: Benson, Belts,
Baker, Brewer. Buschow, Carver,
Conner Fitzpatrick, Gilbert. Griffin.
Hamme. Harrison. Haskell, Hayden.
Miller. Noftzger. Porter of Crawford,
Porter of Montgomery, Smith. Stan
nard, Stillings. Waggener, Wilkerson
%.
Absent: Caldwell. Chapman and
Hughes. $685.
The bill was then passed as amend
ed, the vote being 26 to 2.
SELLS MORTGAGED PROPERTY.