The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-21

bear.
1T was not for love of the local
creameries or hatred for the big CEN
tralized creameries that this rate was
to be installed, but for love of
money The transportation COM
panies needed the coin.
Then all the creameries in this
threatened territory got together and
secured an injunction against the
proposed rate. The case was fought
in the courts of Chicago, Nebraska
and Missouri Finally the outcome
was the interstate rates adopted by
the commerce commission.
What effect will the rates adopted
before this board have on the cream
cry industry of Kansas I want to
tell you first that the Continental
creamery, the most hated of all of
them, according to the evidence
brought before this board, pays out
over a million dollars a year to the
creamery is hated then because its
close attention to progressive bust
ness methods has brought it pros
perity.
81 never knew of an instance be-
fore, where the railroads and express
companies got together on trust
busting enterprise, as this fight or
theirs for higher rates on the long
haul is alleged to be.
There may be side issues in this
case, DuL the IIldlI ISSUE 10 lAiC 1oNN
that the express companies want
more money for hauling cream. That
is the bone to the controversy, and
not their love for the short haul or
hatred for the long haul fellows.
eff they get the rate they want it
means thousands of dollars additional
revenue per year for them and the
consumer and the producer both pay
the freight. Some freight rate ex-
pert has figured out that an addition
al rate of one mill per ton on all the
freight transported in the United
States during the year 1905 would
amount to an additional revenue for
the transportation companies or liz
million dollars. They are only asking
for a small increase in this cream
rate, but 1 want to tell you that the
creamery business of this state is a
big thing and this little old increase
will mean the payment by the men
who milk the cows of thousands or
dollars additional per year into the
Golfers of the express companies.
Yes, I'll admit it, we are like the
railroads in this respect, and the farm
ers and everybody else, we don't pro-
pose to pay this additional freight.
The man who ships the cream Will
have to pay. But If he IS driven out
of business by this increased rate then
the rate will not be paid at all and
Kansas will lose just that much from
the sum total of her business venture
in farm products. What are we fight
ing this rate for then? The creamer-
les are the trustees of the milk sellers
and it is to our interest to promote
the dairy industry to the utmost limit
of the resources of the state. If the
dairymen stop milking entirely then
our business stops, too
Profits on Butter.
At this juncture one of the express
company lawyers asked Mr.. Doran
what the profits of the Continental
creamery were. Mr.. Doran answered
quick as a flash: They are one-haf
of one cent on each pound of butter
we manufacture, and I thank you for
asking that question.
THE Continental company could
not live if it did not handle cream in
large quantities. Milking cows is a
drudgery. Farmers will not do it If
they can make sufficient profit from
their wheat and corn and beef cattle.
If the profits from dairying are not
large enough they will give 1t up and
turn to other branches of farm work
The man who milks the COW, the man
who sits in the mud, in rain and heat
every day and night in the week, and
Sunday too, he has to work hard
enough for his money right now with
out paying more a higher rate on the
cream he ships to the creamery"
Attorney Grattan of the railroad
board interrupted at this point to re-
mark that he had MIXED thirteen
cows all of one winter. Mr.. Doran
came back with the statement that he
had had to milk sixteen cows for a
period extending over six months.
This statement accounted to his hear
ers for the moving picture drawn by
the eminent attorney of the man I'M
der the COW.
Mr.. Doran continued his speech by
declaring that there were over a
million cans of cream shipped in this
state last year, and on this basis the
additional rate asked for by the ex-
al revenue for them in the total sum
of over $4,000. The farmers were
paid $6,S99,000 by the creameries for
their milk and cream last year, ac-
cording to the report of the state dairy
commissioner, and this is the volume
of the business that is being attacked
in this case.
"If the railroad and express COM
panies do not know how much they
earn or how much their transportation
facilities cost them, how can they
justify their plea to this board that
the rates be increased on hauling
cream in this state? Their only argu-
ment is the testimony of expert rail-
road and express men who have made
a lifetime study of their business and
who testify that in their judgment and
according to their experience the
rates now in force are not remunera-
tive and that higher rates are not be-
yond reason or prejudicial to the JUS
tice and equity of their case. We
wants facts and figures, not deduc-
lions and theories of the express men
as a guide in this case"
The board adjourned at the concur
sion of the argument this afternoon.
The decision in regard to these rates
is awaited with interest.