The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-21
AN OUTRAGE.

AN OUTRAGE.
It is hard to see what the Kansas
board of railroad commissioners,
Messrs. Kanavel. Riker and Ryan,
meant when they promulgated in
creases in transportation charges for
the shipment of cream into Topeka.
That the order was an outrage we
believe will be generally conceded by
the people of. Topeka and by the fair
minded. unprejudiced people of the
state.
These new advanced rates which We're
advances over the rates which have
been paid for over twenty years affect
not only the Continental Creamery
company of Topeka. but a dozen other
creameries in Kansas; the Continental
Creamery company being the greatest,
OF course. is affected more than the
others and Topeka being grossly dis
eliminated against is vitally and person
ally interested. 1t is something, too
which concerns a great institution here
The Continental Creamery company
is the friend of the Kansas farmer
Tor the reason that it enables him to
get more money for his cream than
he could before it was established and
for the reason that it is the only
market which thousands of farmers
in this state have.
me new ruling which fortunately
mas been restrained. at least tempor-
arily. by the courts is a somewhat
complicated rate proposition, but
there are few things about its out
raseous results which can be appre-
ciated and easily understood by any
one.
1t is hard enough for Topeka to be
attacked from the outside, but to have
the Kansas board made the attack it
is harder Under the new rates pro-
HuiSated by the Kansas board of rail-
road commissioners cream may be ship
ped to st. Joseph and Kansas City from
Kansas points cheaper than it can be
to Topeka, even if the cream goes right
through Topeka.
Here is one instance: Rate from
Downs, Kan, to ST. Joseph. Mo. 22S
miles, 80 cents; to Kansas City. 25S
miles, Al cents; to Topeka, 1sS miles.
5O cents; to Omaha. Neb As cents.
The Kansas board has increased the
rate of creamery shipments into To-
peka from the forty-nine towns on the
Rock Island from which cream has
been shipped to Topeka over the rates
We do not understand that a single Bit
of evidence has been produced before
the board by the railroads or express
companies to show that the old rates
were not remunerative, and which have
been in force for twenty years. or to
show why there should be an advance
in those rates.
The answer that seems to be pre-
sented is, 'Oh. well. the creamery is
a trust Without discussing that olues-
ton one way or the other a dozen other
creamer1es in Kansas also constitute a
creamery trust. it might be said. Fur
thermore, is it the province of the
board of railroad commissioners to
punish company because it mcv be
lleNe it Is trust: rather is it not the
Cuty of tie attorney general to prose-
cute trusts as trusts, rather even than
that the board of railroad commission
ers persecute what it alleges is a trust
The more Topeka people look into
this railroad board decision the more
they are likely to understand what
an outrage has been committed not
only upon this community, but upon
the Kansas farmers at large
Topeka has almost a world wide
reputation for making the best butter
on earth. 1t is used from New York
TO San Francisco, in the best hotels,
en- the Harvey eating system, the
best railroad dining system in the
world, and by the best caterers gem
orally. Topeka butter has a repu-
tation which Topeka people must
help sustain and defend against the
attacks of the Kansas board of rail-
road commissioners and any indi-
vidual or combination.
What the state of Kansas needs
from the Kansas railroad board is re-
duction in freight rates instead of an
increase. The railroads themselves
have generously decreased some of the
rates which have been excessive, but
it has remained for the board to tax
the producer and consumer by pro-
mitigating increased rates over tariffs
that have been in existence for a score
Of wears