The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-12
Ind in all its commerce, but it is hamperea to


may be thing of slow and uncertain stages,
and 1t should be relieved of these burdens so
that It may continue to rank among the fore
most states OF our nation and that the bust
ness and prosperity of our cities and towns
may increase; that manufacturing establish
ments may be possible and lucrative; that
our agricultural interests may be as profitable
as the fertility of the soil. the salubrty of our
climate, and the industry of our citizens de-
serve.
In addition to these oppressive discrimina-
tons against localities and individuals. these
corporations have for ten years persistently
defed the law in refusing to comply with the
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, 10 make platforms, to nominate and
elect candidates, but also to improperly infiu-
ence legislation by substituting and establish
ing newspapers, and by employing paid lob
byists to defeat proper legislation so that COR
pofate greed may still override and Cypress
the people. 1t is a 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 Mt 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
charged from their employ. The public is
aware that in the States of Minnesota and
Iowa serious complication, growing out OF
an attempt to control and appOrtiOn the
territory to n particular railroad, has just
been adjusted between the parties to such q
compact. Two similar transactions have
occurred in this State, within the past ninety
days. By this method of apportioning terri
tory to particular railroad, the building of
new roads, even when they are needed rs 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
Improbable.
1 call your attention to the recently pub.
lished statement of the earnings of one OF the
leading railroads of the State, which pub
lished statement has not been denied, so far
as am aware. The earnings of this road for
the fiscal year ending Nov. LIST, 1882 is, rs given
in round numbers, Sli 800 5000, with Il net
earning of over S6,0o00e0. Allowing this rail-
road to represent one third of the eatire
mileage of the State. (Which it does mott on
the same basis of earning, the entire mileage
of the State (3967 miles) would be over So.
OO000O.OO, and upon the same basis Of profit
earned by the r9ad referred to, the total net
profit of the entire mileage of the State would
be over Sls000,000, n 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 this one road,
representing less than one third of the mile |
age of the State (whOSe published earnings we
have Just Quoted)ras Il basis, the entire mile
age of the state, after deducting all the run
ming expenses. paws for itself once every two
years, besides paying all operating expenses.
1t is shown by the report of the railroad
assessors that the total assessed value of the
railroad property in the State is 81. OSS 1856 46
and the average assessed rate per mile
is SG..S643. If the gross earnings of the roa is
is SIS 00O, 10000 the average enrning per mile is
over Sl4 10000, sum more than twice the as
scSscd value. When we contemplate the |
magnitude of these figures and that the bur.
denS they indicate have been borne by our
people it shows n patient submission that
enlists our sympathy and recuperative
power and industry on their part that chal
Ienges the admiration of all.
This financial exhibit presents, in n striking |
manner, the marvellous wealth aud the pro- |
ductive energy of the State, by smeans 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
FINANCIAL burdens which they are compelled |
to bear; and it calls upon you to interpuse
the power of the state for the protection of its
industries. And these vast sums of money |
are demanded from the people VIII ose inter |
ests are either treated rs of secondary impor-
servants, the railroads. Never, in the his |
tory of the world, have any people been sub |
jected to greater abuses than have TIE 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 |
tho demand to remedy these inexcusabfe |
evils. No wonder that the wrath, |
and Indignation of n wrOnged people no lon !
ger restraints itself, and that the necessity for |
prompt, decisive, and impartial action is now |
upon you: The pooling system" now so !
generally in vogue in this country, and eSpe-
cially in this State is in substance a contract |
or agreement entered into between certain |
roads by which each forming the pool is
pledged, under penalty, that no matter how |
excessive or exorbitant the rates charged, |
there shall lie no competition between them |
and that unless the public pay the rates no
member of the pool will transport his pro- |
duce or transact his business; and that a pro- |
rata division of the profits accruing from the |
pool is madeto the interested parties at stated !
periods. by this most unjust system of pool |
ing the people are compelled. to pay 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 new road, the spool" tenn
porarily cuts down rates: below 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 |
"pool' refuses to enter into any arrangement |
by which freightS are received from and de- |
livered 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, them are some OF the evils which |
Cypress the people of Kansas and for which |
they are asllnCrelief 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 reason 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 equita. |
BILE policy. 1t seems, however, that forbear- |
ance on the part of the public has only en- |
hold &1ayn %
still greater wrongs; for example, when it |
was ascertained that our wheat and corn crop |
of lsS2 was 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 and corn crops, amounting to over |