The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-08-26
American Freight Rates.

very first time: "Why, the railroads,
of course. Aren't they grinding
down the people with iniquitous
freight races and hasen't the govern
ment stepped In and compelled them
to suspend their threatened advance
until it can be found whether the
rates are reasonable or not?"
Bearing on this question Of how
much the preletariat is compressed,
rofessor ,McPherson, lecturer on
transportation at Johns Hopkins
university, has collected exhaustive
statistics which he has reduced Ia
erms Of every day life. The average
man probably believes that if The
government will keep the railroad
from advancing rates he will get his
shoes st least half dollar cheaper
and other things in proportion. Ye,
d shoe manufacturer located in N w
England delivers pair of shoes
which retail for So and So SO at the
Missouri river for 81 SO and psys
less than a cent aud half freight
on the pair. A pair of shoes j.
carried from the Mississippi river to
the Pacific coast or the Atlantic
seaboard for a maximum freight
charge Of 8 cents and an average ot
less than cents. A suit of clothes
is carried from the Eastern manu-
featuring centers to the Mississippi
river all the way for froin to 8
cents, and for 10 cents to the
Missouri river. Calicoes and similar
goods are carrie d from New Eng and
to Kansas City for one fftieth to
one fifth of cent per yard. The
freight on all the garments worn by
the average man or woman is ouIy
6 to IS cents from the New Engla and
coast to the Mississippi river a"d
about cents more to the Missouri
river (Kansas Clty).
An ordinary dining room suite
table, sdcboard, SIX chairs and a
china closet-pays all the way from
a IS cents TO IS from the mandatory
to Kaosas City; and other furniture
Q is in proportion. The freight on .
o fifty pound sack of -four from the
Q manufacturing centers to the middle
and southern Mississippi valley Il
8 to cents. Wool is carried from
I the far West TO the New Engla
/ factory and hauled back TO the West
as manufacture wooden goods for a
combined freight charge of 5 cents
per yard, reducing the wool to terms
of yards. The Consumer pays from
+ 81 to $3.50 per yard and blames the
. railroads for extortionate freights.
A pair of IS cents or 81 overshoes
pays freight charge of less than
| cents, Including the cost of trans
b porting the crude rubber ali tbs
way from South America. In all
these estimates a small increase,
amounting to an inconsequeOtial
fraction, covers the difference from
the Mississippi to the Missouri river
The railroads get IS cents fol
carrying enough wheat to make a
barrel of -four from the Middle West
; farm to Minneapolis and then carry
ing the flour 10 the Atlantic coast,
where it sells for about So. The
freight on 100 pounds of sugar from
the refinery TO the Missouri river is IS
cents. Eggs are shipped from point
900 miles west of the Mississippi
river to New York for u cents per
dozen, and the Eastern consumer
blames the railroads and the tariff
for the high cost of living. Along
about Thanksgiving time everybody
believes the poulny dealer when he
says 1t is the railroads that maxi
turkeys cost SO much, yet for carry.
ing 100 pounds OF turkey-not a
single bird, but half q Dc zen weigh
ing over fifteen pouRds each-from
the Middle WIS farm to New York
the railroad gets 90 cents for the
job; not 8 4 cents per pound, but
that much fer carrying 100 pounds
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