Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-10-06
Bees This Account For Lower Taxes on
Pullman Cars?


The State journal Is to-day able to
give it's readers the first plausible reason
for the reduction of the Pullman taxes
In Kansas, which was made this year by
the state board of ralload assessors.
The members of the state board of
railroad assessors all ride on Pullman
passes.
Two members of the board are not in
the city, but majority, or a controlling
number of the members of the board of
assessors are here, and in an interview
with State Journal reporter, frankly
sdmit that they not only have railroad
passes, but they ride on Pullman cars
free of charge.
1t now appears that the men, who
only few months ago were trying to
make political capital out of the Pull
man strike by pretending to be enemies
of that corporation and the friends of
the A. R. o., had Pullman passes in
their pockets at the time.
Attorney General John T. Little, one
OK the members of the board of railroad
assessors, rides on Pullman pass, and
when State Journal reporter asked him
about it he said: Eyes, have Pullman
pass, and it is an annual"
"How about your railroad passes, Gen.
eral?''
'+Oh, I have passes over all the Kan
sas roads. They are annual passes,
good in the state only, and 1 make good
use of them. One thing about my
passes, though; you must remember
they save the state considerable money,
as I don't charge my mileage up to the
state when 1 ride on my passes. My
salary is $4,000 year, and aside from
that have a contingent fund to draw
on for extra expenses. When l go out
in the western part of the state to have
q receiver appointed or on some other
official business, my salary goes right
on and l am entitled to have nv ex-
penses paid out of the contingent fund.
My expense includes my travelling and
hotel bills, telegraphing and other such
items. By using my passes the state is
saved the largest part of the expense;
my use of passes is simply saving to
the state"
STATE TREASURER BIDDLE ALSO.
State Treasurer w. H. Biddle also
rides on railroad passes, and he is the
possessor of little piece Of pasteboard
which says "PASS'' on all the Pullman
company cars.
Mr.. Biddle did not like to talk about
the matter and did not volunteer any
information on the subject, but when a
State Journal reporter called at his pri-
vate office and asked about his passes
he talked frankly.
The reporter asked: 'Mr. Biddle do
you ride on railroad passes?'
Mr.. Biddle hesitated, wiuked his left
eye and inquired, 'Do I have to tell?''
'EYou most assuredly do, or say you
won't answer" replied the newspaper
man.
'EWell, I do ride on a pass then; I
have railroad pass?"
"Have you Santa Fe annual"
Eyes, have pass on the Santa Fe
and on several other railroads"
''Have you passes on the Rock Island
and Missouri Pacific?"
ayes, have passes on those roads,"
sENow Mr.. Biddle have you Pullman
pess?" queried the reporter.
Mr Biddle began to look a little
alarmed, but he is one state official who
won't tell fib and he replied: Eyes, I
have a Pullman pass, but / want to say
that haven't used it but once and that
was on my wife's account"
"Well, what do you think of the pass
taking and pass using by state officers,
DIR. Bidder"
81 think it is all wrong and am OPP
posed to 1t but it is universal custom
and where the passes come unsought as
they have with us can see no particu-
lar harm in using them, but if / am
here shall use my influence with the
next legislature to have a law passed
forbidding the use of passes"
AUDITOR VAN PRATHER.-
Auditor of State Van B. Prather is
sick and not able to be at his Office in
the state house, but Journal reporter
called at his home on Tenth street and
found him able to sit up and ready to
talk about business matters.
"Yes, have railroad passes and
ride on them," he said in reply to a
question from the reporter.
Continuing, be said: "All the rail-
roads in the state sent me passes over
their Kansas lines, when they sent out
their other passes the first of the year.
I think have passes over al the roads
in Kansas except the NJ. K. & t.. which
doesn't issue passes to anybody. The
railroads don't want to send me passes
If they don't want me to use them"
"Have you Pullman pass, Mr..
Prather?" asked the reporter.
'.Ho, haven't"
"You haven't?'
MIR. Prather continued: al haven't a
Pullman annual, but when I went east
last fall I had trip pass. 1 wrote to
the Pullman company and asked for q
pasp, and they sent me trip pass"
@What do you think about the use OF
passes, any way. Mr.. PratherF''
II am opposed to the system, but as
long as passes are sent out and used SO
universally, see no reason why
should not use mine"
Mr.. Prather says he hasn't Pullman
annual, but MIR. Biddle and Mr.. Little
tsr4h say they hava and Mr.. Biddle