The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-24
Kansas Stock Shippers Object
to New Rates.
*. C.. Stock Yards Co. Would
Raise the Rates.
FOR THE HANDLING OF STOCK
Utilities Commission Hearing
Brings Many Witnesses.
Bale Waggener, He Is Record
ed as Stock Shipper.

Wrath of the Kansas stock shippers
and the railroad companies over tho
efforts of the Kansas City Stock Yards
| company to collect more revenue from
the handling of stock in the Kansa 5
| City yards is being manifest today at
a hearing before the public utilities
! commission to determine the adoption
| of additional rates for service in the
yards over the Kansas City Connecting
railway, incorporated and owned by
the Stock Yards company. From all
over the state stock shippers came to
| Topeka today to attend the hearing,
! and so great is the interest in the
stock yards controversy that the uti1-
tiles commission found it necessary to
| adjourn to representative hall to ham
| die the crowd.
| Fifty prominent Kansas stock ship
pers, a score of railway officials, an
| equal number of commission house
| representatives and officials and rep
resentatives of the Kansas City Stock
| Yards company are here for the hear
| ing. Each side is anxiously awaiting
an opportunity to tell their side of the
| controversy. Railway officials told the
commission today that they were not
| interested in the connecting railway
controversy, except as it affected the
making of rates. So, when it was sug-
gested that the extra cost for services
over the tracks built by. the Stock
Yards company were to be absorbed in
the freight rates collected by the rail-
| roads, the railway officials promptly
sat up and made preparations to fight.
Charge ST Car.
The plan suggested by the stock
1t is admitted and agreed that there is
bungleSome system of handling
stock in the Kansas stock pens. After
stock is unloaded from some of the
roads, it is necessary to drive through
a number of pens and chutes, resulting
in shrinkage losses for the shippers.
So the stock yards officials talked
matters over and decided on a plan
1t was announced that a couple of
miles-possibly three miles-of rail-
road would be built, enabling the
shippers to place their shipments in
pens without former trouble and in
convenience. Then came the cost of
laying rails. The stock yards COM
pany wanted 81 for each car of stock
handled over the terminal or connect
ing line. But the stock shippers didn't
did the railroads. And the matter
was checked up to the public utilities
commission.
Stock Shippers Are Peeved.
While the formal plan for handling
stock was being discussed in Repre-
sentative hall, about forty Kansas
shippers were in conference in the
state house. At this conference the
they thought of the stock yards COM
pany. The adjourned only to meet
again late this afternoon with plan
to draft resolutions, setting forth their
views on the connecting railway.
Former Senator T. N. Potter of Mar
ion and John A. Edwards of Green
wood led a fight the stock yards
company at the morning conference.
They charged among other things that
the stock yards company is capitalized
for $11, 500 900, or about $4,000, 900 more
than the physical valuation Of the
plant. They also charged that the
stock yards company is realizing about
100 per cent profit on it's present feed
rate schedules and that the shippers
of Kansas have made possible enor-
nous profits for the company. Now
they felt highly insulted by being
asked to pay the extra 81 a car for
handling stock.
Means Third of a Million a Year.
Under their present plan," said
John A. Edwards, 1.-The stock yards
company would realize about a third
of million dollars. The Kansas ship
pers don't propose to pay it, neither do
they think that the railroads should
be asked to absorb this extra cos..
Only last January the stock yards
company issued $2,500,000 extra stock,
for which there is no apparent ac-
counting. I think that the majority of
shippers are in favor of the connect i
ing railway, but not as a profit to the
stock yards company and at the ex-
pense of the shippers, who would ulti-
mately pay the bills"
The railroads view the matter in
much the same light. They point to
the fact that they are now compelled
to pay loading and unloading expenses
and other expense items to the stock
yards company, all of which has been
absorbed in freight charges. Now they !
refuse to meet the extra expense of 81 |
a car.
Last year there were 100000 cars
of stock unloaded in Kansas City.
Probably 60 per cent of this stock was
reloaded. Under the plans of the
stock yards company, connecting rail-
way charges would be collected both
on cars loaded and unloaded.
Trickett Defends Plan.
Attorney W. S. Trickett of Kansas
City, Kan, defended the plan of the /
stock yards company. He appeared /
as attorney for the company and told
of the needed improvements and
necessity for better loading and un- 4
loading facilities. Under the plan ad-
traffic over the connecting railway
would be met by the railroads, which
would be expected to absorb the extra
cost and say nothing more about it.
Judge A. E. Helm. representing the
public utilities commission, outlined
the general contention over the
switching fees and told of the de-
mands of the stock yards companies, /
the railroads and the shippers.
A Kansas shipper Testifies.
R. H. Haslett, representing the But
ler county stock shippers, was the first
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