Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-21
A. e. T0UzALIN's LETTER.

WICHITA, KANSAS, FEB. 81, 1884.
A.E. T0UzALIN's LETTER.
without stopping to question the propri-
ETY. OF the members OF the State board of
railway commissioners airing themselves
through the columns of the public press, or
denying their right to supplement their find.
ings with public TRADES against the person.
al head OF present railway management,
we VIII express the conviction, however,
that the reply to their last letter, made by
Mr.. A. Z. Touzalin, last Saturday, trans
fers the positions of the scalpers and the
scaiped, leaving the hirsute epidermis of the
commissioners as bald as coot. IL we had
space we should like to give Mr.. Touzalin's
letter In full for he says he writes for the
public's eye believing it time for tie rail-
way managers OF the State TO disabuse the
minds of the people touching misreprcsent-
atoms which have been asserted and re.
asserted SO often in the absence OF denial
that many have come to accept them ms
truths, when, in fact, they are the farthest
from IL. Not only for that reason would we
ike to give the communication entire. but
because the matter in controversy is OF vast
Interest to the State and its people who
want TO know the whole truth. II the board
OF railway commissioners expect to foist
themselves into high political positions by
playing upon the prejudices OF the people
against railways, they will fail. The last
letter, VIC believe, on the part of the com.
missioners. was written by Judge Hum
phrey. the Democratic member OF the
board.
Mr.. Touzalin, in his last letter, conclu.
sively shows that there has been g perver.
sion OF he truth and misrepresentation
such rs, IL not shown up, would inevitably
mislead honest people. Not counting the
original cost Of the road. Mr.. Touzalin's
letter shows from figures taken from the
books, that the Santa Fe has expended, in
nine years, g. COL ,29s. SO more than the en-.
tire freight earnings received for carrying
Kansas freight and freight across Kansas,
In improvements, in expenses, and In taxes
paid in this State. He takes up the pub
lished letters OF the commissioners para
graph by paragraph and answers each fully
and explicitly. Mr.. Touzalin further shows
that of all the roads built in Kansas the San
tn Fe. Notwithstanding its immense outlays
is the only one which has not been in the
hands Of receiver and its original honest
holders Of stock ruined. Its founders and
hackers having full faith in the final out
come of Kansas have backed their road in
and through every financial emergency and
crisis.
Now the truth is, all the people want out
OF the roads is what is fair. honorable, and
equitable, and they will not permit CON-
missioners, for political or other reasons. to
take advantage OF public demand for rail-
way legislation to cripple these great con-
SENATORS of commerce, or TO so CIRCULATE"
as 10 effectaally prevent further railroad
building in the State, or the further invest
ment of millions in permanent improve
ments by railroad men and capitalists of the
East. Mr.. Touzalin closes his four-column
letter o; figures. facts and statements with
the following paragraph:
The entire power which has been given
you by the law in the making of rates is as
follows:
munity that the rates charged for freight are
unjust, unreasonable and extortionate, and
the board shall find such complaint to be
true. they shall require modified charge
for the service, and such adjudication shall
be prima facic evidence of what is n reason
BILE charge in all actions for such service.
This is the limit of your power. Now let
us soc how yaf, haya sraua hayard II Won
have received from the LOCO miles of main
line and auxiliary roads in Kansas operated
by this company, so-cailed complaints from
three points. All the evidence before you
in these complaints has gone TO show that
the rates charged were reasonable, from ev.
cry point OF view. But finding that the
company was in fairly prosperous condi-
ton you have arbitrarily decided-to reduce
the revenues of the company in the whole
State, and without even the color of law
you make tariff for the whole line OF road
reducing its rates fifteen per cent, which
you say will reduce our earnings not TO ex-
coed 500, 0oe per year. Without color Of
law you decide that all the auxiliary lines |
of our road must adopt common and con- |
.
less OF the rights of the other owners of
these auxiliary lines, and when we ask III
we are at liberty to operate these roads sep |
arately YOU answer: '.If by reason of the |
less proftableness OF any auxiliary or leased
line under the new rates ii were TO be lop- |
ped of, this would swell the aggregate EARN
ings of the main system, and would afford a
margin for still greater reductions
Without the color of law you select three |
pe .nts on the Missouri river to and from
which you make system OF special rates, |
to the disadvantage of interior cities, unless
a proportionate reduction is made every
where. In your first decision Of January l,
1884, you fix standard of rates for the first
seventy miles of road. You proclaimed
these rates to be reasonable, judged by any |
standard of comparison, and end by saying:
"They should not be disturbed" Less than
thirty days afterwards, without complaint
from the people, and without notice TO us,
you proceed, without color OF law, to lower
them, explaining this arbitrary act by say
ing: I'VE have deemed il just and proper
TO make several notifications in the distance
tariff schedule
Iventure to say that since the birth Of the
State no more despotic acts have been COM
mitted without color of law than those
which you have attempted.
NY former letters and this one now writ
ten you were intended for the eye CT the
people of Kansas. The interests Of the
truth demand that the railroad company
should no longer be silent under misrepre-
sentation. Hence it is that / have deemed
il my duty to write you these letters. The
work of enlightening the people on these
transportation questions We shall push for
ward. To this end We have appointed Mr..
Norris L. Gage to take special charge Of this
important matter. His Office will be at To-
peka and he viii have access to the books,
records and accounts OF the company. The
officers of the road will render him every
assistance in getting at the facts. He will
osrdially cooperate with the new board OF
railroad commissioners. The people are in
vitsd 70 confer or correspond with him. BY
shis nsans and by all others in our power,
we shsii endeavor 10 assist in getting TO the
people information on both sides OF the
question. That is what the