The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-24

up Mr. Stubs and making him ridl-
culous- The railroad commissioners
say that Mr.. Stubs is trying to work
on some shopworn stock on them
with MS resolution providing for q
grain rate Investigation. The fol-.
lowing is the boards statement:
House resolution number z, intro
duced by w. R. Stubs and passed
by the house, cites the board of rail-
road commissioners to the fact that
the rates on wheat from Missouri
river points to the Gulf ports is much
lower per ton per mile than those
prevailing from interior Kansas points
to such destination and directs the
will compel the railroads operating
from the Kansas wheat belt to the
Gulf of Mexico to give that section
ct the country as low freight rates
on grain as are in force from said
Missouri river points.
At the 1907 session of the 1egisla-
ture an act was passed giving the
board authority to bring original ac-
lions or intervene in actions already
brought before the Interstate Com
merce commission affecting Kansas
rates. This act was passed primarily
for the purpose of enabling the board
of railroad commissioners to take &C
ton on the grain rate situation and
under this act the board by Its attor-
ney, S. S. Ashbaugh and by Mr.. A e.
Helm, its counsel, interviewed in and
prosecuted a case before the Inter
state Commerce commission setting up
in detail the disparity between the
interior Kansas grain rates to the
Missouri river rates. Mr.. Stubs was
an important witness in behalf Of the
board in this hearing. In the prose-
cution of this case considerable
fund was expended and nothing that
money or the boards influence could
do tending towards a correction of
the abuses was left undone. The de-
cfsion Of the Interstate Commerce
commission was handed down on
exhaustive resume of the prevailing
rate situation. After the commits
sion rendered its decision for a ma
terial reduction in the rates direct to
the Gulf from interior Kansas points
it says:
1--WE are confirmed in the impress.
sion that these rates will be just by
comparing them with the cost of NOV
ing to the port of export grain from
every grain producing section OF the
United States
And with reference to the Miss ouri
river basing line rate 1t says:
" The decisions of the supreme court
of the United States which are too
well known to need citation here put
it beyond question that a rate like that
from Kansas City to Galveston which
is actually forced by controlling COM
petition, can not be taken as the stand
ard by which to estimate the reason
ableness of rates where such compe-
tft1on does not exist. We are COM
PEELED to find the fact of this competi-
ton and we must therefore hold that
the claim of undue discrimination is
not made out
"The effect of this decision of the
interstate commerce commission was
that grain traffic heretofore moving via
Kansas City moved through the W1eh-
tia gateway to such an extent that the
facilities at that city for the handling
of the traffic were inadequate to the
proper handling thereof to the extent
Of millions of dollars and the farmers
of Kansas were saved better than two
million dollars annually.
"In view of this recent decision of
the interstate commerce commission
covering the same identical issues
thought to be raised by Mr.. Stubs
resolution, the board would certainly
hesitate to bring another action under
the resolution and were such an action
brought, the interstate commerce COM
mission surely would deem it res
adjudicata.
Representative Sourbeer of Labette
county today received a telegram an
nouncing the death of his sister, Mrs.
Henrietta A. Carl, of Harrisburg, Pa.
Chase county is going to make
strong bid for the location of the gov
eminent fish hatchery which congress
has decided to locate in Kansas. Sen
ator Hamme and Representative Joe
Mercer Of Chase county ara getting UP
big petition to be sent to Senator
Curtis asking him to help Chase coun-
ty get the hatchery. There Is no bet
ter place in the state for state fish
hatchery than Chase county. Several
of the finest fish streams in the state
are in that county. and the railroad
ia cilities are excellent.
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