The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-20
Say They Can't Compete in Big
Kansas Towns.
]. F. WILSON ON THE STAND
Kansas City Traffic Man Cites
Some Cases
Where Jayhawkers Have an
Advantage.

More witnesses appeared before tie
interstate commerce commission to-
day to tell Examiner Mackley that
Kansas jobbing points were getting
all the best of the freight regulation
and should make evidences of joy and
Thanksgiving. All today's witnesses
were called by the Kansas City inter
VenerS who want the freight schedules
carefully safeguarded.
Backed by the commercial clubs and
other civic organizations from Kansas
City, st. Joseph, Atchison and Leav-
enworth, the 32 defendant railroads
are fighting the proposed shakeup of
rate schedules from the Missouri river
to Kansas Jobbing points. The rates
are declared to be so regulated that
the Missouri river towns get the cream
OF the jobblng business with Kansas
towns limited to d Scanty local terri
tory. 1t is to offset these contentious
and show that Kansas has a gOoG
thing, that witnesses are being USED
from the Missouri river towns
Shut Out of Kansas Towns.
J. E. Kinney, All AtchisOn hardware
dealer, told of his years of experience
in the shipment of wares He Sald tnd1
in the palmy days of 20 years ago, MS
firm shipped to all Kansas territory
without aggressive competition. Now,
Kinney says, it is impossible to ente'
the local western territory of Salna,
Wichita, Hutchinson and other towns
The only salvation has been the snip
ment of carlots from manufacturing
centers for distribution in local terri
tory. In this manner the keen COM
petition of local jobbers was overcome
TO certain extent.
John w. Mccoy of Kansas City, ad-
mitted that his firm maintains a
branch house in Wichita for the snip
ment of wares to the southwest ter
ritory. Mccoy said Wichita has the
better of Kansas City on Atlantic sea-
board rates. On cross examination
the witness admitted that the gum
rate was not the schedule complained
of in the hearing before the COM
merce commission. Still the Kansas
City man believed that the Missouri
river schedules were equitable between
Kansas jobbers and the wholesale and |
jobbing interests of Kansas City
Kansas City Traffic Man.
Testimony given by J. F. Wilson of
the traffic bureau of the Kansas City
Commercial club, covered lists of in
dividual shipments. Quoting from
shipment rates from points east of the
Mississippi to Kansas towns, as COM
pared with shipments from the same
towns to Kansas City for distribution,
Wilson contended that the Kansas
man had the better of the argument
His examples of shipments to Kansas !
towns was made up from a list of
towns in a radius of 25 miles from 10 |
cal jobbing centers.
Several sharp tilts among the small |
army of lawyers occurred at today's |
session and Examiner Mackley listen |
ed with one ear to the volume of traf- |
fic schedules, while into the other ear
was poured the objections and coun- |
ter charges of opposing counsel. This
will continue all week. 1t is not prob |
able that the hearing will close earlier |
that Saturday evening and a second |
adjourned session may be necessary |
to complete the tal the VOlumi- /
nous testimony.