The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1877-03-01
RAILROAD LEGIsLATION-

The present Legislature OF hansas mas
do,e a good nany things for which 1t de-
serycs credit, but it il leaving undone some
very important things which ought to be
s,,erdad TO without delay. Prominent
among the measures that should be passed
are the bills Tor compelling railroad compa-
mics to comply with their charters, and for
regulating rates Of freight and fare. These
are legitimate subjects OF legislation, they
are matters that claim the attention OF the
Legislature, and ought to be carefully con-
sidered and passed, at once. We have no
desire to see the State of Kansas make war
upon her railroads, and deny any intention
of advising such course-We would nave
the Legislature foster and encourage, with
IN proper bounds, all enterprises oil this
character. but at the same time We
must no; lose sight OF the fact that one OF
the highest duties OF tine State is to protect
its citizens againtt the extortions and I'M
Just enactions OF gigantic corporations 1t Is
an established fact that laws Of the charac-
ter referred to can be successfully enforced,
and that their operation results IN the end
not only TO the benefit of the public but oil
the roads themselves. The inevitable effect
Of law limiting the rates OF freights and
fares to reasonable figures, would he TO
largely augment the business OF the roads.
Cheaper rates would at once cause an IN
crease Of business, and the additional
amount OF carrying done would soon be
sufficient to make the profits OF the roads
more than under the present rates
The bill TO compel the roads to conform
to their charters is merely simple act Oh
justice, and ought to be passed as matter
of right. Take, for instance, the Kansas
Poetic road. Leavenworth paid this road
4 quarter Of million dollars on coHdi-
ton that the road from Lawrence to this
place should be part Of the main line
IL took the money and used it, and has
never since pretended to make the slightest
movement toward carrying out the terms
of its contract. and the people OF Leaven-
worth, who paid their money for the priv
ilece OF a road that would carry them
from their city TO the west without chang
ing cars, cannot now travel over this road
to the capital Of the state-sixty miles dis
tant-without changing cars and waiting
an hour on the platform at Lawrence. The
only reason the road pretends 10 give FOR
this fragrant violation of contract is that
cit don't pay to run through trains on that
line" Suppose it doesn't pay-wasn't that
contemplated when the contract was entered
into-else why should this large bonus
have been demanded and paid 1t is never
necessary to hire a railroad, at price Of
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, 70
do what it would pay" to do any
how. The whole matter is simply
this: The Kansas Pacific road entered
contract with the county Of Leavenworth
TO do certain thing for a stated consider
atioa-that consideration being quarter
OF million dollars-the money YVES paid,
the road received it, and used it, and now
that il does not fad it to Its interest TO DO
what ii has agreed TO do, it fatty refuses
TO comply with its part Of the contract, and
all that Leavenworth now asks OF the Leg
islature' is TO pas a law declaring that
this road shall do what it has agreed to do,
and what it has been paid for doing. Is
that an unreasonable demand?