The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-21
Commerce Commits
sion Renders a Decision
In the Mississippi Case Favor
able to Kansas.
1T MEANS MUCH TO Topeka
Will Enable Manufacturers to
Compete With Others.
And Save Shippers Many Thou
sands of Dollars.

The interstate commerce commission
/ has reached a decision in the famous
Mississippi river rate case, according
to a dispatch from Washington today
which probably will mean hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually to To-
peka and put this city on the map as
j an Industrial center.
The Washington dispatch reads as
follows:
Glass and commodity freight rates
from ST. Louis and other Mississippi
river crossings taking the same rates,
to destinations in interior Kansas were
held by the interstate commerce COM
mission today to be unreasonable and
discriminatory. Reasonable maximum
rates, materially lower than existing
rates, were prescribed to Topeka, Sa-
lima, Hutchinson, Wichita, Dodge City
and Goodland as representative deStl-
nations and the carriers were ordered
to readjust their commodity rates rela-
lively to all points,
The Mississippi river case was filed
by the state public utilities commission.
Two hearings we're held in this city, and
the final hearing took place in WASH
ington the latter part of october, l9lZ-
Topeka was represented by H. D. Dr1S-
coll, commissioner of the Topeka Traf-
nal exhibits for the case when serving
as assistant rate clerk of the state pub
lie utilities commission.
Means Much to Topeka.
In speaking of the case Commission
er Driscoll said today: If Topeka
gets the substantial reduction that
have every reason to believe she will
get, the decision will mean hundre Is of
thousands of dollars annually to the
city. 1t will enable the factories here
to do business under favorable cir
cumstances. A factory can exist in To-
peka with favorable freight rates as
we'll as anywhere else. The freight
rates pretty nearly determine the loca-
ton of a factory. Topeka has prac-
tically as good territorial location
as aKnsas City and certainly
as good as Lincoln, Neb. Pos
sibly Topeka will get a bigger reduction
in rates than the shipping points west
of here as it was shown in the evidence
| in the case that there was greater dis
elimination here"
Becomes Competitive Point
| J. VIII Kelley, secretary of the Com
mercial club said this afternoon: The
decision will help make Topeka an in
dustrial center. 1t will make the city
a competitive point.
At the offices of the public utilities
| commission no word has been re-
ceived regarding the decision in the
Mississippi rate case. When told of
the ruling this afternoon, Henderson
Martin, chairman of the commission,
declared that the action Of the in
terstare commerce commission meant
thousands of dollars for Kansas.
1.-The Mississippi rates have always
been unjust and unfair and a decided
discrimination against Kansas towns"
said Martin. while I haven't seen
the opinion, yet it seems certain that
the ruling as reported in the press dis
patches is a great victory for Kansas
jobbers and manufacturers and will
permit them to enter keener compe-
tition with Missouri towns. The rul-
ing seems to be sweeping and should
be of great benefit to the entire state"