The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-21
j. r. KOOntz Answers Governor
Stubs on Rate Adjustment.
Says Grain Not Raised in Kansas
City But Shipped There.
NO EFFECT ON GRAIN
General Freight Agent Thinks
Raise Will Not Hurt.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

Governor Stubbs, in his speech at
San Antonio and in his letter to Presl-
dent Ripley, refers to the adjustment
of freight rates on wheat from wichita
to Galveston when for export as against
the rate from Kansas City to the same
port when for export, says j. X
Koontz, general freight agent of the
Santa F'e, ii a statement today.
THE governor refers to this as an
adjustment which is costing the farm
ers of Kansas many millions of dollars
The comparison which the governor
makes is as against rate of 1S12 cents
from Wichita, as fixed by Judge
Prouty, of the interstate commerce
commission, was 25 cents per hundred
pounds At the time JuGge Prouty
I fixed the Is cent rate from Wichita he
had full and complete information pc
| fore him as to the existence Of the
proportional rate Of 1872 cents from
Kansas City to the Gulf
There is no wheat raised in Kansas
City. Every bushel of wheat that
moves out of Kansas City in the direc-
ton of the Gulf or in any other dlrec-
ton, pays a freight rate into Kansas
City.
1.-THE comparison which might be
proper to make is as against a rate
from Wichita through Kansas City 10
the Gulf for export as against the rate
direct from Wichita to the Gulf Tor OK
port If a carload shipment of wheat
and thence from Kansas City to the
! Gulf the rate would be the comblna-
ton of the local rate Of 1212 cents from
Wichita to Kansas City plus the pro
portionate rate, as referred to by the
governor, of 1919 cents from Kansas
! civ TO Galveston or total of 81 cents
as against the direct rate from Wichita
to Galveston of 25 cents or cents per
hundred pounds less than through
Kansas City.
There is no use in the governor, or
any other party seeking political fame
| or glory. trying to create a prejudice
as against Judge Prouty'S adjustment
| of grain rates from Wichita and other
Kansas points to the Gulf ports. This
adjustment was gone into very thor
oughly by Judge Prouty in the case en-
titled the Farmers and Merchants
Shippers club versus the A. I. & S. F.
railway and number Of other defend
ant railways.
cit was in this case that Governor
Stubs sprang into some prominence
as a railroad constructor. He appeared
as a voluntary witness and offered his
| testimony in support of a reduction in
! the grain rates from Kansas to the
| Gulf Judge Prouty unquestionablY
| considered the governors testimony
| when he decided that % cent rate
| from Wichita to Galveston was reason
able and it. therefore, seems that the
governor has had his day in court.
Now as to the statement of the gov
ernor about the great loss which the
| farmer has sustained as a result of
the rate from Wichita and other Kan
sas points to the Gulf. Statistics show
that the wheat yield in the United
States for 1909 was 757 100000 bushels;
| in 1870 692, 000, 900. For the twelve
months ending June 80, 1909, the total
number of bushels exported via al
ports, Atlantic and Gulf, was sc; 923, 244.
For the twely-a months ending June 80,
1910, the total expectation reached the
figure of 1879, S76 bushels There was
| exported for the same periods via the
| Gulf ports the following: 1909 ending
June 80, 100000; 1910 ending June 30,
| 8, SOC. 900. Statistics further show that
| for the period June 80 to October 81.
| 1910, there was exported via New Or
! leans 82439 bushels; via Galveston
! 1888 900 bushels.
1.-THE rate situation is as follows:
From Wichita TO Galveston, the freight
rate is rs cents per hundred or Is cents
| per busheI of 60 pounds. The ocean
charge for bushel of go pounds from
Galveston to Liverpool is IL cents
adding thereto the wharfage and other
| terminal expense per bushel at Gal
weston of III cents, making a total
charge, per bushel of 60 pounds. from
Wichita to Liverpool, the market of
the world, Of 22az cents.
1.-The freight from Wichita to the At
| 1antic ports of Baltimore and Newport
| News is Sc cents per hundred pounds,
or 225s cents per bushel as against Is
cents per bushel from Wichita to Cal
weston. The ocean charge per bushel
from the Atlantic ports to Liverpool is
6.13 cents per bushel. The terminal
and other wharfage charge at the A.
lantic ports would be approximately
: 1-3 cents per bushel, or make a COM
bined charge per busnel on wheat from