Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-19

and it should be relieved of these burdens so
most states of our nation, and that the bust
ness and prosperity of our cities and towns
may increase; that manufacturing establish.
ments NAV be possible and lucrative: that
our agricultural interests may be as profitable
as the fertility of the soil. the salubrity of our
climate, and the industry of our citizens de-
serve.
In addition to these oppressive discrimina.
lions against localities and individuals these
corporations have for ten years persistently
defed the law in refusing to comply with the
enactment requiring them to establish and
keep their general offices within the State,
but have moved them beyond our limits, and
now even deny and defy the jurisdiction of
our courts thus violating the will of the peo-
pie in this regard. And perhaps one of the
worst features of this vexed railway problem
Is the constant tendency on the part of rail-
road managers to manipulate the politics of
the State; to seek not only to control conven-
tions, to make platforms. to nominate and
elect candidates, but also to improperly intiu-
ence legislation by substituting and establish
ing newspapers, and by employing paid lob
Dyists TO defeat proper legislation so that cor
porate greed may still override and Cypress
the people. 1t Is notorious fact that it is
charged by the public journals. and believed,
that the railroads of the State have used
money lavishly to corrupt voters, and
have tried by coercion, by threats, and
by all appliances at their command to force
their employees to vote against their will and
for men and parties known to be pledged and
committed to the railroad interest, and upon
their refusal to do so they have been dis
aware that in the States of Minnesota and
Iowa a serious complication, growing out of
an attempt TO control and apportion the
territory to a particular railroad, has just
been adjusted between the parties to such a
compact. Two similar transactions have
occurred IN this state; within the past ninety
days. BY this method of apportiOning terri
tory to particular railroad, tho building of
new roads, even when they are needed as a
matter of self defense, either by competing
lines or by the public, is entirely prevented,
or made exceedingly difficult so that the re-
mote towns and cities and agricultural dis.
tricts are derived OF railroad facilities obtain
able but for such combinations made TO rem
der competition impossible, and the business
of such unfortunate districts thereby made
unpi ofitabe.
l call your attention to the recently pub
hshed statement OF the earnings of one OF the
leading railroads OF the State. which pub
lished statement has not been denied, so far
"a am aware. The earnings of this road for
the fiscal year ending Nov. lst, 1882, is as given
in round numbers, Sl4 SOC, 0O0.O 90, with a net
earning of over S6 600 600 AlIouin0 tbis rail
road TO represent one-third of the entire
mileage of the State, (Which it does notl on
the same basis of earning, the entire mileage
of the State (3,967 miles) would be over S45-
OOO,OOOOO and upon the same basis of profit
earned by the road referred to, the total net
pront OF the entire mileage of the State would
be over sis, 1000, sum that in two years
would amount to more than the assessed
value OF the entire railroad property of the
state, or in other words, taking tuis one road,
representing less than one third of the mile
age of the State (whose published earnings we
a
age OF the state, after deducting all the run
ming expenses paws for itself once every two
years, besides paying all operating expenses.
1t IL shown by the report of the railroad
assessors that the total assessed value of the
railroad property in the State is SIS 0S5, I56.46
ana the average assessed rate per mile
Is S6,IS6.43. III the gross earnings of the roats
is SI5, 900 10000 the average earning per mile is
over Sl4 10000, sum more than twice the
sessed value. When we contemplate the
magnitude of these figures and that the bur-
dens they indicate have been borne by our
people 1t shows patient submission that
enlists our sympathy and a recuperative
power and industry on their pare that chal.
lenges the admiration of all.
This financial exhibit presents. in striking
ductive energy of the State, by means of
which the people are enabled to nav 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
financial burdens which they are compeIled
TO bear; and 1t calls upon you to interpose
industries. And these vast sums OF money
are demanded from the people whose inter-
ests are either treated as of secondary impor-
lance. or are wholly ignored by these public
servants, the railroads. Never, in the his
tory OF the world, have any people been sub
1ected to greater abuses than have the people
of Kansas for the last five years No
wonder, then, that from all sections of the
State, and from all classes of people comes
evils. No wonder that the pent-up wrath
and indignation of a wrOnged people no Ion
prompt, decisive, and impartial action is now
upon you. The pooling system" now so
generally in vogue in this country. and espe-
claily in this State, is in substance n contract
or agreement entered into between certain
roads by which each forming the pool is
pledged, under penalty, that no matter how
excessive eXorbitant the rates charged
there shall be no competition between them
and that unless the public pay the rates no
memher of the pool will transport his pro-
duce or transact his business; and that 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 pool
ing the people are compelled to paw much
higher. rates than the actual demands of the
business 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' tenn
porarily cuts down rates be.Ow the actual
cost of transportation, until the new compe-
titor either succumbs, or Is forced into the
combination. When the building of the new
road can not be defeated by this method the
poor refuses TO enter into any arrangement
oy which freights are received from and de-
llvered to the new road, and its business is so
hampered as to drive it into bankruptcy or
compel it TO transfer its fanchise to its pow
erful rival
These, then. are some of the evils which
Cypress the people of Kansas, and for which
they are askingrelief atyour hands. Hitherto
these wrongs have been born patiently, and
the people in their magnanimity have given
the railroads every opportunity to prove
themselves the real friends of the State, and
for that treason have postponed legislative
action, in the hope that these corporations
would see the folly and Injustice of their
methods, and adopt a wiser and more quita-
bic policy. 1t seems, however, that forbear-
ance on the part OF the public has only en-
boldened these corporations to perpetuate
still greater wrongs; for example, when it
was asceTta1ned that our wheat and corn crop
OF 1881 was as certainty, the railroads of the
State at 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 ana corn crops, amounting TO over
N,5O0,OOO, so that as we increase the agricul-
tural products of Kansas, the railroads adopt
the unnatural policy of advancing their rates,
thus preventing good crop from returning
any more money to the producer than poor
one.