The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-21
1T CAN Do BUT LITTLE.
Report Of the State Board Of
Railroad Commissioners
Shows That Their Powers Are
Restricted In Such Manner
That They Have Little influence on
Conduct Of Railroads ~ General
Items Pertaining to the State
House and State Matters

The state board of railroad commits
sioners has received from the printer
the advance sheets of the fourteenth
I annual report Of the board The rec
concentrations made by the board are
quite extensive and cover &c pages Of
printed matter.
Much space is given to a review of
two matters which have been before
the board for consideration during the
past year and which are in the opinion
81 the board, the most important ques-
llons that have come before them They
THE question Of a change bv the
railroad companies in the method of
charging upon shipments of live stock
z-Ihe question of a reduction in
rates upon grain and grain products TO
the southern seaboard.
The boards method of dealing with
DOth Of these questions is given at
length with much of the correspondent
between the railroads and the board.
The result Of the hearing before the
board on the first question was that
the railroads obeyed the recommended
tlons of the board and re-esta blished
the practice Of charging for shipping
cattle by the car load instead of the
hundred pounds.
The investigation Of the second cues
ton resulted in a complaint being filed
by the board before the Interstate COM
inerce commission against the
railroads and the testimony that
was taken at the first hearing of this
complaint was the direct cause of
rate war between the railroads. This
war cut the price Of hauling grain to
such an extent as to materially raise
the price of grain in Kansas. The final
result was that when rates We're finally
established they We're stil below the
old rate The following reductions be-
ing made:
Rock Island. to Chicago wheat. 10
per cent, corn. 10 per cent. To Cal
mar
cent.
Santa Fe, to Chicago, wheat. u per
cent. corn, IA per cent. To Galveston,
wheat, 8 per cent; corn, 6 per cent
The board is of the opinion that much
more legislation. both state and nation
al, viii be necessary to control and reg
ulate the railroad business both for the
good OF the public and the roads them
selves. The report says that statistics
show that 90 per cent of the entire
traffic of the Kansas railroads is inter
state while only 40 per cent is local or
lntraState. For this reason most of
the needed legislation must come from
congress in the way of giving the in
terstate commerce commission en-
1arged powers The board think that
the measures most needed by the in
terstate commission are: change in
method of procedure, the power not
only to declare methods of handling
business unlawful but the power to de-
clare what practices shall be lawful
and a compulsory uniform classification
of freight.
The board say that the state legis-
lation needed in this state is enlarged
powers granted to the board so that
their recommendation to the roads as
to what reasonable freight and passen-
ger rates are and shall be binding on
the roads and enfOrCible i'm the courts.
The report is unfavOrable to a max
imum freight rate bill, saying
THE board is firm in the belief that
maximum rate laws. pro rata freight
Low mile o. = If
of like infexible character. would be
entirely out Of harmony with present
conditions, and would be detrimental
instead of beneficial, to the public well
fare The relations Of the interests
concerned in commerce are constantly
changing. resulting Oftentimes in an
tagonisms, thereby making necessary
q flexible system of regulation which
may respond quickly to the equitable
demands of aggrieYed interests, whether
they be railway and public interests
in opposition or the constituent parts
of either Of these general interests war
ring among themselves Remedies for
injuries would be vainly sought if the
conditions producing them prevailed
under an arbitrary, inelastlc system OF
regulation"
The report says the manner of organ
ling the board should be changed. 1T
says mo such increase of power
should be given unless the law per /
tanning to the organization Of the
board shall be so changed as to insure
rotation in the terms of office of the
members of the board, and also to per /
init the removal of the members for |
cause only. So long as the law per
mits an incoming state administration /
to remove the entire membership, upon |
the theory that the positions upon the /
board are political only, and are to be |
treated as party spells, 50 long viii |
the usefulness of the board to the peo- /
pie of the state be impaired.
R. W. TURNER ON SPAIN.