The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-01-04

the gross earnings of the roads are S45.-
the average earning per |
mile is over $14.000.0o, sum more |
than twice the assessed value. When |
we contemplate the magnitude of these
figures and that the burdens they
Indicate have been borne by our people.
it shows patient submission thai
enllsts our 81 mPathy and q recuperative
power and industry on their part that
challenges the admiration of all.
This financial exhibit presents. IN
striking manner, the marvellous wealth,
and the productive energy of the state.
by means OF which the people are
enabled to pay such vast sums annually :
and it also shows the tribute paid by
the people, for permission to do business
with the railroads, as well as the
tinancial burdens which they aIe
compelled to bear; and it calls upon you
to lnterposH the power of the state Tor
the protection of its industries. And
these vast sums of money are de-
manded from the people whose
interests are either treated as
Of secondary Importance, or are
wholly ignored by these public
servants. the railroads. Never,
in the history of the world, have any
people been subjected to greater abuses
than have the people of Kansas for the
the last five years. No wonder then
that from all sections of the state.
and from all classes of people comes
the demand to remedy theSe Inexcusable
evils. No wonder that the pent.up
wrath, and indignation of wron0ed
people no longer restraints itself, and
that the necessity for prompt, decisive,
and impartial action is now upon Won.
The pooling system" now so generally
in vogue in this country, and especially
In this state, is in substance A CONTRACT
or agreement entered into between GER
tain roads by which each forming the
pool is pledged, under penalty, that no
matter how excessive or exorbitant the
rates charged, there shall be no COM
petition between them and that unless
the public pay the rates no member of
the pool will transport his produce or
transact his business; and that a pro-
rata division of the profits accruing
from the pool is made to the interested
parties at stated periods. By this most
unjust system of pooling the people are
compelled to pay much higher rates
| than the actual demands of the busi
ness Justify. or the traffic will bear"
and the business of communities thus
suffers, and is IN many instances wholly
destroyed. And when the parties and
communities thus embarrassed attempt
to relieve themselves by building A
new road, the pool" temporarially cuts
down rates below the actual cost of
transportation, until the new compete
tor either succumbS, or Is forced into
the combination. When the build
ing OF the new ROAD cannot be defeated
by this method, the pool" refuses to
! on far into L L
| freights are received from and delivered
to the new road, and its business is so
hampered as to drive it into bank
ruptcy, or compel it to transfer its fan
chise to Its powerful rival.
These, then, are some of the evils
which Cypress the people OF Kansas.
and for which they are asking relief at
your hands. Hitherto these wrongs
have been born patiently, and tire peo-
pie IN their maRnanimity have given
the railroads every opportunity to
prove themselves the real friends of the
of the state. and Tor that reason have
postponed legislative action, in the hope
; that these corporations would see the
folly and injustice of their methods
and adopt wiser and more equitable
) policy. 1t seems, however, that for
) bearance on the part of the public has
only emboldened these corporations to
| perpetrate still greater wrongs; FOR ex.
ample, when it was ascertalned that ouI
J wheat and corn crop of 1882 YVES a. Ger.
: talnty, the railroads of the state al
: once advanced the rate of freight above
the rate of last year, to such an extent
, as TO place an additional burden upon
the wheat and corn crops, amounting sc
: over $1,5O0,OO0, so that as we increase
the agricultural products of Kansas
the railroads adopt the unnatural pol
; icy of advancing their rates, thus pre-
! venting good crop from returning
any more money to the producer thar
poor one.
] Therefore l deem it my duty no
only to call your attention to these
D evils, and to warn you of the danger o
delay in dealing with them, but also t,
5 impress upon you the following pro.
D positions:
r First That railroads are publ,
: highways, created by thu authority Q
: the state, for the benefit of the state.
s Second-That railroads are common
: carriers, and as such shall receive ant
i have the right to demand Just and reas
. enable compensation for service rend
S cred, and have no legal or equitabl,
s rights TO charge excessive or exor
: bltant rates.
5 Thlrd-That ali persons have RICH
? to their use, on like conditions.
f Fourth That the legislature ha
r the right and power to regulate lhen
, in ali these respects and particular
r mentioned, including the right to fl
7 rates of freights and fare.
E With these propositions IN view it i
, clearly the duty of the law making
power to exercise a most thorough
fearless, and just management and con
r troll of its corporations, including tele
graph and express companies, SO as Il
+ prevent these valuable adjuncts of thc
business of the state from becoming OBJ
pressiVe monopolies. And should the
: legislature, in its wisdom, deal with thi:
important question as the public de
mand, and should it be decided that the
railroads shall be placed under the con.
, troll of commission appointed for that
r purpose. | would fail in my duty tC
! the state and to you did | net specially
request that you shall fix by law, indie
, pendent of any commission, the rate OF
passenger fare at three (3)cents per mile
| and that you provide by law, lndepend.
ent of any commission, that railroads
} shall be prohibited, under proper PEN
atty, recoverable by civil action, from
charging more for short distance than
for long distance. That you shall FL