The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-15

puIpOeS Oh WHICH was 70 prOtecL tnl
, people against unjust sggressions b,
corporate power, and 70 secure reasona-
: Bile and equal fare and freight rates
This legislation was largely eIperlmen
tai Wisely, In my judgment. the law.
making power avoided hasty and arbI
trary action, preferrIug to create q com
mission 10 which should be entrusted
the duty of investigating the manage
ment and operation of our railways
hearing and deciding complaints of IN
just Determinations or extoTtions, gath
ering lnfornztiea CONCERNING the cost oI
transporting passengers and freight, and
advising the legislature as to the regula-
tons and laws best calculated TO secure
Tor the people prompt, safe and equita-
bic transportation service.
This law has, SO far, worked we'll in
Practice. 1t has promoted q better un-
uerstandlng and more harmonious rela-
lions between the public and the rail-
roads than has ever before prevailed
J II has secured considerable reductions
ia fares and freight charges, greater
carefulness in railway management, q
more speedy and equitable redress of
grievances, and q more consldeTate re-
gard, on the part of railway managers,
for the rights of travellers aad shippers.
1t removes the responsibility and ex pense
1 "a h(AS J0otASC INC
10 the state. It has, to some extent, de-
pTived the railway corporations OF the
arbitrary power they had possessed, and
sometimes unsparIDglY exercised, TO dis
crimlnate between communities and in
divIduals. And it has eslisted in the
service of the state q body of MIN who
lave given TO abe compI Gated and
many sided question Of railway trans
portailun, careful Investigation and
study, SO that they are competent to in.
telligently advise tue lsw-makIng power
Tue experience Of other states con-
firms the opinion that the commissioner
system, with ample power vested in the
commission, Is preferable to any other
method OF dealing with or regulating
| railways In q recent speech in con
| gress, an ex-governor OF Massachusetts
| sisted that although the railroad COM
missIonerS OF that state had conferred
upon them no power at ali except to in
vestigste and recommend, yet IN no case
had any railway company dared TO re-
sist or failed to comply with the mere
recommendation of the state railroad
commission. "a corporation he said,
might be as powerful as an ancient
baron; II might laugh al statutory pen
alties but it goes on It's kRees, it trem
bles with terror, at entire exposure"
Such changes and notifications of the
| present law as experience with It's work
| IDgs may have shown TO be necessary,
| should be made. In some respects, l
think, the auth 1Tity it conters on the
commission should be am 2lified aud en-
| larged. But the general scope and re-
quireme0ts of the law, the ever-wstchfuI
oversight and constant restraint 1t puts
upon the corportions OF the state, should
| be adhered to.
The source aud sum Tor all unreasons
BILE and extortionate charges made by
railways for the services they perform,
| is in their "watered stock" so-calIed; in
other words. stock issued far in excess OF
the cost OF their construction. Railway
companies are justly entitled to reasona-
| bic remuneration Tor the services they
! peTfoTm and to a reasonable interest on
the capital legltimately invested ID the
| building and operation of their lines
| Bot they should not be permitted to es-
tablish rates that will enable them to
| pay large dividends or interest on stock
or Indebtedness in amount double or
three times the cost of the construction
of their roads. Deriving their powers
FROM the state, railway corpora
tions are responsible to the state
| for the exercise of those powers,
aud it is the PLAIN duty of the
law making power 10 pro ect the people
| against unreasonable, excessive or tx
tOrtionate transportation rates.
The exhaustive report of the state
board of railway commissioners Is COM
mended I'd your considerable attention.
| The Suggestions and recommendations il
embodies are derived from careful,
practical and intelligent investigation
and study of the railway question il all
its phases.
| OFFICES CT KANSAS CORPORATIONS.
The legislature of 1875 enacted a law
| requiring Kansas corporations to keep
aud maintain their general offices within
the state. But this act DID not repeal an
act passed IN 1870. which auth orizes any
| Kansas railway corporation TO consoli
| date with, or To lease its road to any rail
way corporation of AL "adj dining state"
whose road forms a connecting and con-
tinunus line. This act of 1870 is in the
interest of adj lining states" rather than
| Kansas, and should be repealed. While
! 1t remains ON the statute books, the act
of 1875 cannot be given much practical
force as against railway companies. The
last mentioned act, chapter 3, special
session of 1875 has been TOR wears a dead
letter on our statute books. Adequate
means for enforcing it should be provid-
ed, or it should be repealed.
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS
|
ion. Belt highways are nec' sSary,
and some system should be devised IN,
der which it will be possible to secure
them. The present system of making
and improving country roads is OF only
| wastetul and unjust In lis operation, but
T! Unsatisfactory ia its results. 1t is a
sys EN- of patching" between rains. II
employs host of officers, generally in
| experienced and careless, and often in
competent, to direct work that would be
much more iutelligently aud ecOeOmi-
cally accomplished under tue direction
of one experienced and responsible Off :
Ger. It calls farmers from work they
understand and in which they have a
direct personal interest, and compels
them to engage in work they do not IN
derslsnd, and in which they have only
community Interest. The provisions
of the road law allowing road taxes to be
worked out and delinQuencIes to be re-
ported and placed on the tax roll of the
succeeding year, are an anomaly in our
tax proceedings. Ii a road district
should embrace an entire municipal
township, and the road tax collected in
cash, should be expended under cOmpe
tent supervision, aud the work done with
improved machinery aud appliances
the public would be far better served
and at less cost, than under the present
system.
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
} The state board OF agriculture ha:
/ through It's various publications, achiev
+ Ell national reputation, and has been o
} incalculable benefit to the state in max
ing known its resources and productions
Its work as authorized by law, is to col
! lect, arrange and furnish tor the public
: general information concerning Kansas
The monthly. quarterly, annual and bi
2 enniaI reports of the board relating Il
e | the resources, products and advantages
3 of the state. are uuequalled by any SINH
s lar publications in tAis country, and are
: | eagerly sought tor both far and near. Ii
s its efforts to promote the agricultural in
terests of the state and encourage indus
s trial and manufacturing enterprise
I within our borders, the board and 1t
3 officers have shown commendable activ
q itY and enterprise. have no hesitation
, in saying that this department deserve
a continuance of the liberal supper
: heretofore extended to 1t by the legisls
I ture. 1t has probably contributed more
D in proportion to its cost, TO the settle
: ment, development and material pros
e perity of the state than any other agency
J OUR STOCK INTERESTS
, Earnest protests have reached me fro1
b stock owners in several portions OF IN
b state against the proposed Nations
e Cattle Iail.' Is The complaints Of iDJur
r and losses to our cattle interests, grow
: ing out of the movements of Texas cattl
/ through Kansas, are also numerous an
i vigorous. It IS alleged that the losse
, from Texas fever, so-ca.ied, are muc
I larger than is generally supposed; thu
! the presence of Texas cattle within on
d borders Is q constantly increasin
= source of danger 70 the stock interest
e of Kansas; and that It is of the hughes
II importance that the driving of such ca
q tie through any portion OF the state dur
+ ing the months when they are liable {
g communicate fever should be absolutel
Il prohibited.
; The stock interests of Kansas are 8