The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-13
John Dawson Goes After Ex-
press Companies.
Alleges ExtOrtiOn and Dis
elimination.
CUT OF so PER CENT.
Demanded to Correspond With
Rates in Other States.
Kansas Pays Higher Rates Than
All Bordering States.

John Dawson, attorney for the state
railway board, today filed with the
board a complaint against all the eX-
press companies doing business In the
state. The Importance of this suit ana
its far reaching effects as regards the
general public will be hard to estimatS,
as the burden Of the complaint is
demand for a reduction in express rates
in this state of from ten to fifty per
cent.
The Wells Fargo, United States, Pa
cffic American, and Adams Express
companies are named as defendants In
the suit and they are charged with ex-
acting unreasonable, extortionate, dis
criminatory and unjust rates on all
kinds Of goods in state and interstate
business
The complaint alleges that conditions
in Kansas are not different from that
in the bordering states of Nebraska
Iowa Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas
except that there are no large cites
here where the defendants have to ex-
pend large sums for terminal facilities,
but the volume and nature of this
business in Kansas is the same as m
the states named, yet Kansans are
charged from ten to fifty per cent more
for transportation of their express taan
are the citizens of these other states.
It is further alleged that for pur-
poses of deception the defendants had
published a schedule of interstate rates
this schedule is operative only in Kan
sas, the other states enjoying cheaper
rates than the schedule
The complaint goes right deeply into
the mater of the business of these ex-
press companies when it alleges that
they have made improvident contracts
with the railroad companies as an ex-
cuse for imposing high rates on kan
sas, and that these express companies
are owned by the railroads"
That these defendants (the express
companies) "dissipate their earnings in
large salaries, attorneys fees and leSis-
lative Hobbies and under this pretehse
of large expense impose extortion3ke
rates upon the state of Kansas.
That the management and conduct
of their business does not involve
large amount of capital and consists
mostly of contracts and privileges and
only a small proportion of their cap
ital is invested in their business, the
larger proportion being involved and
invested in loans, bank and railroad
stocks and mortgages.
That the defendants had refused
to furnish the board with copies OF
their schedule of rates. That the
charges in Kansas are not based on
the distance carried or the amount OF
the service rendered, but based al
ways on the particular case as applied
to the article in question:
Accompanying the complaint are
several tables of rates in Kansas and
bordering states and comparisons are
made between them. These tables
show that a charge of 81 is made in
Kansas for carrying 100 pounds on
an eighty-mile haul while in Nebraska
the charge is only so cetn,s in Texas
SO cents. Nebraska Sc cents, Iowa 70
cents, Oklahoma so cents.
On the 1OO-mile haul-Kansas,
s1.0O to SIPS; Missouri. 10 cents;
Iowa, rs cents; Oklahoma, 10 cents.
On the 3O0-mile haul-Kansas, So
to $3.50; Missouri, $1.45; Texas. 95
cents: Nebraka. $3.50; Iowa, $1.40;
Oklahoma, $1.40.
These tables show discrimination in
rates between neighboring towns in
Kansas to be something to marvel at,
of which the following samples offer
a chance for comparison:
Newton to Marion. distance 38
miles. charge. $1.5O; Newton to Der
by. distance 3s miles, charges, so
cents
Hutchinson to Canton. distance Al
miles, charges, so cents; Hutchinson
to Preston, distance 40 miles, charges,
$3.50.
1t is the plan of the attorney for
the railroad board to have the cream
rate Injunction case now in the Shaw
nee district court, delayed until the
board takes action in this matter of
a sweeping reduction in rates, as the
success of this case will give the
creameries the relief prayed for.
sCit against the express companies on
the occasion Of his visit to Nebraska
IL the interest of the two cent fare
suits. He found that Nebraska had
Just secured a sweeping reduction in
express rates. Looking further into the
matter he found that Kansas was pay
inv from 10 to so per cent more for
transportation of express than any of
the states on her borders.
The complaint concludes as follows:
Wherefore, Your complaints prays
that the whole system of rate making
on intrastate express business within
the state of Kansas be modified; that
a new and uniform schedule and sys-
tenn of rate making be prepared and
put into force ard effect upon all intra-
state express shipments within the
al ate of Kansas, said schedule and sys-
tenn of rates having for it's basis the
distance the goods are carried, and the
service rendered in the carriage there
Of; and that an absolute and substan-
tai reduction be made upon all ex-
PRESS rates on intrastate business with