The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-19
MilIers Declare Ruling Will
Stop Their Business.
Milling i'm Small Towns viii
Be Stopped.
10 APPEAL To WASHINGTON
Committee viii | Try to Show
Their Position.
Already Small Mills Feel Effect
of Ruling.

Kansas City, Kan, Nov. 19.-Declar-
ing that the Interstate Commerce COM
mission is discriminating against the
southwestern millers, and that a recent
ruling of that commission is squeezing
to death s7OOO0.0Oo business. the mill
ing-in-transit committee of the South
western Millers' league met at the
Coates house and selected committee
to go to Washington, December 1, and
appeal to the commission to modify its
ruling
The league represents the millers OF
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma
and Texas r
The members control 1000 mills and
a capital of SIC, 900 900.
In 1899 there were 1895 mills in this
territory, representing a total invest
ment of S24, 40, 900. In thirteen years
the money invested increased almost
200 per cent, and the number OF mllIs
increase almost So per cent. Inc mill
ers say the milling business IN the west
is at a standstill since the ruling OF
the Interstate Commerce commission OIL
August Is. They say the fight is not
for growth, but for existence.
Fight Against Rates.
According to Martin E. Caste, of
Wichita. Kan. traffic manager of the
league the trouble with the Interstate
Commerce commission ruling is that 1t
gives rate breaking points on the Mis-
souri, and Mississippi rivers advantages
over points west of these rivers. Prev
ious to the rate ruling" said Mr.. Caste,
"a southwestern miller could receive 100
pounds of wheat and ship 100 pounds
of flour. Now he is permitted only to
ship as much -four as 100 pounds of
wheat will make, and the by-products
of XHybn shorts
must be shipped under different
rating. If a miller ships a car almost
full of flour and fills up with bran or
corn meal, he is compelled to pay the
less than a carload rate for this feed"
Another serious objection to the rate
ruling, according to the millers, is the
requirement of separate record of
different varieties of the same grain
This is known as the color scheme.
The transit miller must keep separate
record of his hard and soft wheat,
mixed and yellow corn, etc.
Mills in jeopardy.
Henry Lassen, of Wichita, Kan,
chairman of the committee which met
here, said: 5rafH a..
1.-THE new milling in transit rules
will, if enforced, drive the interior
mills of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska,
Oklahoma and Texas out of business
and concentrate the milling industry
at terminal points such as St. Louis
and Minneapolis"
In earlier days. the millers say, the
railroads competed holly for the bust
ness of the western miller. But when
the interstate commerce commission
passed ruling making the rates from
points west of the Mississippi the same
as for points along the river, the
roads west of the river were not so
anxious to haul the grain, for there
no more in a long haul than in a
short haul.
L der the new ruling the railroads
are active again, as it adds to their
profits.
Committee to Protest.
The men who will go to Washington
ere: C. v. Topping, secretary of the
milling in transit committee; Chester
1. Long, counseI; Martin E. Casio,
traffic manager; Henry Lassen, chair
man G. G. Sohlberg, treasurer; mem
resentatives from each of the five
states. They say the change in the
ruling must be made within year or
the millers will suffer much damage.
Several individual mills in western
Kansas already are said to be suffer-
ing. They receive wheat from a dis
lance of 100 miles consigned to gulf
-Oint or the Atlantic coast, or maybe
Liverpool. In transit it is stopped and
milled, and for every 100 pounds of
wheat the flour it will make is ship
red on at the same rate. The by
ducts that used go along with
the four to make up 100 pounds gross
are charged under different rate, and
as the expense falls on the miller, it
is said to be cutting profits down to
SGnv Irn, l.