The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-21
RAILROADS POWER.
They Have Too Much For the Good
of the People.
THEY HYPNOTIZE THE LEGISLATURE

And Every Bill to CurtafI Their Power
is Vithered by the Railroad Inffu-
nce-RepresentatIve Moore Tells
Why 1t Is
Representative Moore of Saline county
occupies the anomalous position of being
one of the Republican members of the
railroad committee who wants to sec
some railroad legislation enacted by this
legislature He says his people are in
earnest in desiring an adjustment of
rates and he is going to do what he can
to bring it about 10 this end Dir. Moore
yesterday secured a special order for
Monday at 2 o'clock for the two railroad
bills which are on the calendar without
recommendation. Besides this, Mr.
Moore has introduced a bill abolishing
the offices of railroad commissioner.
In conversation with a JOURNAL re-
porter on this subject, Mr.. Moore said:
CHOSE of us who are in earnest mean
TO make the house give the people the
legislation they desire, or I shall push
my bill to abolish the board. They
must either fish or cut bait.
The railroad commission as it exists to-
day is simply an ornament. Its powers
are only advisory, and it doesn't even ad-
wise. That part of the law of 1888 Gre
ating the board, which confers any pow
ers upon it, has been declared invalid by
the supreme court, and | am satisfied the
remainder of it would have met the same
decision had it come up"
There is bill on the calendar to give
the board more power, isn't there?"
asked the reporter.
eyes, there is bill with such title,
but it is absolutely of no effect 1t is the
one known as the ROhrbaugh bill. 1t
gives the board power to enforce the au-
thority which it already possesses, but
when you sift the matter down you find
the powers it already has are nil The
bill is all buncOmbe. Its passage would
mean no more than to give the railroad
commissioners by law the wonderful au-
thOrity TO continue to do nothing.
THE people in my part of the coun-
try are thoroughly in earnest in
desiring action on this question. My
bill demands that the railroad commits
sioners be clothed with power to do some
thing or that their useless existence be
ended There is neither rhyme nor rea-
son in their being an expense of $4,000
a year to the state without being vested
with single right to make themselves
of penny's worth of account"
"Why is it that it is impossible to get
the commissioners on railroads to move
In the matter?"
AAO hAO0GAC 10 bAOo0 WIZ Wdub 10 10
something are confronted by lot of log
rollers. bill comes up for considera-
ton, and the railroads get men of infiu-
ence to come around and the men
weaken. They temporize and do moth :
ing. Unless the house takes some favor
able action on the railroad bills next
Monday it is my intention to push my
bill abolishing the board If it isn't
given power it has no reason for it's ex-
istence. As it is today it is expensive,
useless and Inefficient
Mr.. Moore was a member of the sub
commission which prepared the bill en-
bodying, for the most part. the provisions
of the Iowa law but which failed by the
vote of the chairman to receive a favor
able report 1t appears on the calendar
without recommendation, and is one of
the bills which will be taken up next
Monday.
It is the opinion of more people than
Mr.. Moore that the railroad commission,
in its present state, is of no value what.
ever 1t is as useless as the vermiform
appendix or the tag on shirt and just
about as pretty.