The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-11
AS a BOSTON
col. Needham Makes a Sensation
This Morning
AT STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

3FeetIns- He crIfIr5zes fhe santa Fe
Railroad management ana Taliss
Politics Generally.
The state board ~ agriculture showed
a tendency to drift into politics this
ID orning. lit was not offensive politics,
for A. W. smith. George ~. Click and
Senator Forney and many others repre-
senten too many political faiths "a allow
q row. but some very radical things We're
said about the national admins tration
congress, finances, hard times, free silver
railroads, lthe Santa Fe and Onion Pacific
in particularly pensions, AND other subj
iects of national importance. The leader
Of the discussion in this direction was
Col Daniel Needham, president ot the
ew England Agricultural society. Col
y eedham came here from Boston espe-
cially to read his paper by request 1e-
fore the farmers Of Kansas. IL was
thoughtful essay on The Relation q
Western Agriculture tn the East" that
made such hit with the delegates that
they ordered It printed in fun ln the So
ciety's reports.
COL Needham Is nervous speaker
He has white hair and white side
yhiszers. He looks not unlike Coll G.. AZ
Holiday. but is smaller EIe expressed
sentiments that would hardly be expect
ed from a BOst0nian, and That might not
be popular at home. In the course Of his
speech, r-hich lasted more than an hour,
he saids
The nation Is afflicted with some dis
ease and DIR. Congress has been trying
thought last summer that free silver was
the cause, so the purchasing claIse IF the
Sherman act was repealed Tine patient
got no better. 1t is restless and fretful
as it had a right to be. and the doctors in
Washington are spending AL THEN time
in WASHINGTON doing nothing.
600 great expenditures from the pub
Tic treasury are ln "a great measure re
sponsible for the restessness OF the
patient. Take the immense sums given
away ia pensions. I know this is not
popular subject in the east, and II may
not be here, but the old soldiers should
be the first tO demand acareful and rigid
scrutiny Of every application for pen
sion (applausel The $400,O0u.000 spent
IT'D the formation of a new navy to crafty
our pride is another Instance of This.
The same amount is Increasing our
standing army to the size Of that of RUS
STA or Germany would have been just as
pardOnable
In speaking of the bad times Colonel
Needham mentioned the receivershIp of
the Santa Fe lhe called III ~the Atchison l.
Col. Needham said ~The mana cement
of the A1ehison had for years been SO
reckless as ~ be rotten The Immense
salaries paid to officials. the fabulous
chase of branch lines that are WORTHLESS
was to blame for tile failure to meet it's
obligations 1t was pay Ing usurl0us ln-
teres1 Old 4300,000,O0U borrowed money.
unreasCna0les The III lroad managers
are alone responsible for the disrepute
into which they have brought them-
selves. If the railroads d. not meet the
demands Of the people their charters
should be revoked. Then they would
r. N"
severe, but in keeping with the spirit of
United States citizenship
81 do not wish 10 be misunderstood as
favoring the ownership of railroads but
I cannot See why freight and
passenger service cannot be conducted
on the same principle as the United
States mail service. In Australia
the government practically owns the rail-
ways. and 1T has been successful beyond
all expectations. The Union Pacific
the government 1aaQlOus SUM pa
bonds that cannot be sold in the money
market for one half what the interest
due amounts to, w say nothing of the
principal.
"The farmers of the east join You ia
demanding smaller expenditures at
Washington.
.The farmers Of the east join you ia
Directing because all of their property Ks
heavily taxed, while the millions of the
rich are concealed from taxation.
Col N eedham said the people of this
county had no desire ID see monarchy
restored ON any island where t had been
0ver1hrOwn lie said also. .+N should
take no dictation ia matters Of state or
finance from ancient arIstOcracle5, and
added. Remember III IS not what you
earn but what You save. that makes you
rich
WI B Sutton of Russell, said. 81 am
surprised that Col. Needham in a1vocat-
ing more reductions at Washington
should have overlooked docu-
ment that takes care of that completely.
lit is the report Of the secretary of agri-
culture when be ab0lishe7 the free dis
uibution of seed This fixes it.
Laughter.
George wv Click said lie favored an
income tax on incomes over and above
living expenses. and good, heavy tax
TOO.
Mr. Sutton said. aYou would make it
so heavy they eould't afford to i've
Mr.. Click replied. --A good many of
them deserve to die
Prof. Georgesln of the State AgrI-
cultural college read paper On "LessDns
from the Danish dairies. Tt vas based
on visit 90 his native country last SUM
mer. and contained MANY GOOD things. IS
the mods of approval from the farmers
nIcated.
The papers of Chancellor Snow and u.
II. Churchill Of Dodge CRY were post
poned until after dinner.
FARsIER SMITHS ADDRESS.
Last Nights Session DC the state Board
of = agriculture.