The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-06
THE NEW RATE SCHEDULE.

TT anpears that the new freight rate
schedule which has been prepared I'M
der the direction of the state board OF
railroad commissioners, is not entire
ly satisfactory to interior Kansas 1op-
bers. They assert that Kansas freight
rates have been made in the past Tor
the benefit of Kansas City jobbers and
to build up Kansas City. to the detr1-
ment of Kansas towns, and this new
distance tariff sheet does not correct
the evil.
1t is true that freight rates are
fearfully and wonderfully made, and
no man knoweth the wherefore there
of. 1t is an exceedingly complicated
subject and for that reason the pro-
posed schedule needs careful consid-
Grafton by all the interests involved
before it is put into force. If there
are inequalities in 1t, they should be
corrected
OF course it is unfair that Kansas
City should be built up at the expense
of Kansas communities, yet that sort
of thing has been going on for years.
both on out and in shipments. Con-
corning this complaint of interior job
bers, the Salina Journal says:
All that interior Kansas has been
asking is equitable and just treatment.
Up to this time it has been possible
for Kansas City to lay down goods at
New Cambria, six miles east OF sa-
lima, cheaper than Salina 5obbers
could. They could also lay down
goods at Bavaria, eight miles west or
Salina, at the same rate and in many
instances cheaper. There has not oeen
a single point in the territory ada
cent to Salina where the Salina job
Der had the advantage of the Kansas
City jobber in the matter of freight
rates and on every point east or Sa-
lima Kansas City has been given the
advantage.
The rates have been constructed in
the interests of the Kansas City job
Der and this is what the board OF rail-
road commissioners is expected to
correct.
we do not ask an unfair advantage.
The rate from Salina to any town To-
Gated nearer Hutchinson than 1t is
Salina should be cheaper from Hutch
that is located nearer Wichita than
Hutchinson should have cheaper
rate from Wichita than from Hutch
inson. Every jobbing point should
be given the natural advantage which
it's location entities it to and no more,
and the same rule should be applied
to Kansas City. Heretofore this rule
has been applied to interior towns,
such as Hutchinson, Salina and Wich-
ita, but not to Kansas City.
Kansas newspapers also Ieel lndt
injustice is done them. A carload of
paper coming from the Wisconsin
mill district by the shortest route
comes through Atchison. The dis
lance to Atchison, a river point, is
500 miles, and the rate is 20 cents.
From Atchison to Topeka is so miles
and the rate is 10 cents. The paper
comes right through in the same car.
East of the Missouri river the rail-
roads haul paper five times as far for
the same money as they do when the
paper gets into Kansas.
Yet up in Nebraska the haul from
Omaha to Lincoln is about the same
as from Atchison to Topeka, yet the
rate is only 8 cents, as against 10
cents in Kansas.
Such figures as these are what con-
vince the people of Kansas that they
are Disseminated against in freight
charges and the railroad commits
sion should correct these Inequalities
in it's new schedule.