The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-20
FREIGHT RATES EFT CETERA.

With the prominent railroad OIL
cials of the country, including such
conservative and honest men as
President Ripley of the Santa Fe and
President Brown Of the New York
Central, insisting that the railroads
will have to raise their rates II they
are to be in position to meet the de-
mands of their employees for increas-
ed wages, the new movement which
is being launched in Kansas and
which promises to spread all over the
nation for a reduction of interior
freight rates to the same plane or the
rates charges between points where
there is water competition, takes on
an added interest.
1t seems to be just agitation. 1t
does not appear to be fair that ship
pers between points where water
competition exists should enjoy ma
terially lower railroad freight rates
than do those in interior localities.
An equalization of the railroad rates
among all the shippers of the coun-
try would seem to be no more than
the fair thing. But if it is brought
about there will be an enormous re-
duction in the aggregate OF freight
revenues throughout the land, which
will come pretty near Gripping the
railroads if the contention they mako
now is true-that under present con-
ditions they will not be able to meet
the reasonable demands of their en-
ployes for better pay unless freight
rates are raised.
There is no disposition here to in
sist that many of the freight rates of
the country do not need reduction
and equalization, but there is no good
reason to believe that any reduction
of freight rates will be of any great
benefit to the consumers of the ma
ton. the innocent bystanders" as
they have been aptIy termed. Mr..
Ripley said not so long ago that an
increase of 25 per cent in the freight
rates would scarcely be felt by the
consumers, the buying public. SO in
significant would be the extra burden
placed on each individual article pur-
chased at retail. There is every reas-
on to believe that he was speaking
we'll within the truth, and If he had
discussed the matter further it is like
ly that he would have said that there
would be no appreciate saving to the
consumers if railroad rates were de-
creased % per cent. 1t is true that
indirectly the consumers pay the
freight, but any advantage in freight
rates evidently goes into the pocket
of the shippers and the middlemen.
This is evidenced by conditions exist
ing throughout the country today.
One would think that pair of shoes
made in Boston would sell for more
because of the freight on them in,
say Kansas, or Oregon than they do
in Boston. But such is not the case
They, are the same price. practically
wherever they are sold in any part
of the Aountry, one mile away from
the factory or three thousand miles
away. The same is true of everything
else. Take a barrel of flour. 1t
might be reasonable to think that
barrel of Hour ground in a Topeka
mill from Wheat grown within a few
miles of this city would sell cheaper
here than it would in Boston or San
Francisco, or intermediate points, or
even Europe. Such is not the case.
Evidently the freight rate cuts little
figure in this country on the selling
price of anything. And it is the SELL
ing price of things that the people of
| this nation are most deeply interested
in today.
Perhaps if some of the men in the
public eye, who have been entrusted
by the people for the time being to
safeguard their interests. would de-
vote little of the time they use in
hammering away at railroad freight
rates to an investigation of the causes
that maintain all things at their pres
ent high prices-and manifestly these
prices are not due to either high or
low freight rates-they might dis
cover some things which would be of
wonderful advantage to the people il
they had the courage to show them to
the light of day and act as the oeca-
/ sions might demand