The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-23
AT THE STATE HOUSE.
Railroad Commissioners and
Railroad Officials Meet Again.
Spend an Hour in Pleasant Con-
VerSatiOn and Adjourn.
Com missioners Are Not Disposed to
Insist on Anything to Which the
Roads Nay Object


of the various railroads in Kansas and
the state. board of railroad commission
erS adjourned at 4 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon, after a session of one hour,
without accomplishing anything. The
conference was called by the commits
sioners for the purpose of having the
auditors show why they had failed to
indicate in the annual reports to the
commissioners the amount of earnings
in freight and passenger traffic in the
state during the year ending June 80
1896.
The railroad men present were: Eras-
tus Young of the Union Pacific at ON
aha; n. H. LOomis, Union Pacific legal
department. Topeka; Alexander Doug
lass, general auditor of the Frisco at
St. Louis; S. B. Schuyler, assistant gen
eral auditor of the Missouri Pacific; J.
5 Ford, comptroller of the Kansas
city, FIT. Scott & Memphis; General
Auditor Matthews of the Rock Island:
General Attorney NJ A Low of the
same company; General Auditor H. G.
Whitehead of the Santa Fe and A H.
Hurd, general solicitor for the compa-
ny in Kansas.
The commissioners desire to secure
detailed information showing the gross
earnings in Kansas as to mileage, ton
mage, freight charges, passenger traf-
f1c and general business.
The reports as made to- the commits
SiOners in the past show only the gross
earnings of the system.
The attempted legislation OF the past
year was met with numerous state
ments of losses in earnings and gener-
al business on the part of the various
railroads, and the commissioners desire
to become possessed of accurate and re-
liza bic detailed information with refer
ence to Kansas business, for future ref
erence.
The auditors stated that under the
f-Tlr-v nod
could only approximate the information
desired, but Mr.. Low of the Rock Is
land suggested that il could be reached
upon the mileage basis. That is, the
gross earnings of the roads for year
would be taken as the basis from which
would be ascertained the amount earn
ed per mile. This could then be dis
tributed over Kansas according to the
mileage of the various lines.
The commissioners and auditors talk
ed informally for an hour and the
meeting adjourned. the auditors being
given the opportunity of making their
suggestions in writing. which, after con-
sideratiOn by the commissioners, will
be replied to by an order directing the
companies to make out the reports.
The commissioners in the first place
desired to have the amount of gross
earnings on every mile OF road, from
station to station, and other details
which the auditors replied they would
be able to furnish only after an ex-
penditure of much time and money.
ct is not the purpose of this COM
mission" said Mr.. Campbell, TO i'm
pose any hardships upon the roads we
very. much desire this information, but
perhaps the plan suggested by Mr. Low
is the best"
Mr.. CampbelTs statements and said:
1.-THE information which we seek
would be of great value not only to this
commission, but to the people OF the
state. and / would be much pleased if
OF II in
7 do not care to be a party to imposing
thousands of dollars of additional eX-
pense upon the railroads.
I could not get the Information
which YOU desire without going back
and taking up every bill handled by
our company during that year." said
Mr. Ford of the Memphis.
Taking his pencil and figuring Tor
a few moments, Mr.. Ford said:
cit would require such force of men
TO do this work that it could not be
done for less than $4,000 This is not
an estimate. 1t IS the true cOnu4tIoh
which exists"
The others insisted also that the ad-
ditional work and time would require
the expenditure of thousands of dol
lars by the various roads.
There are other features of the re-
port which the auditors claim will be
practically impossible to furnish. The
commissioners and the auditors Delfev-
ed that the report in many instances
ships upon the companies.
why said Mr.. Ford, the reports
were prepared by a man who is wild
on the subject of statistics. He pre-
pared these questions without any
thought of the trouble to which he was
putting the companies, to say nothing
of the heavy expense. 1t Is the most
unreasonable document I ever saw" he
concluded.
There is no question about that" re-
marked Mr.. Low.
Mr.. Douglass of the Frisco said: The
man who prepared this blank report
knows. to all appearances. little or
nothing of the practical workings of
railroad auditing. 1 am at a loss to
know how l could comply with the de-
naands therein contained. We keep no
accounts with states. Gross earnings
are not distributed They are kept in
totals. think the report is unfair in
its demands
1T seems to me that what you say is
true said Mr.. Lewelling.
You mean Mr.. Adams of Chicago,
do your" inquired Mr. Whitehead of
the Santa Fe, addressing Mr.. Ford.
Yes. sir, I do" was the reply. 'Ad-
ans is a fine gentleman, but he runs to
statistics like a duck to water
If he is such a good statiStician,'
observed Mr.. Lewelling, perhaps he
might explain to US some way in which
We can get out of this difficulty"
The auditors viii file with the COM
missiOners within a few days a request
that certain portions of the report be
omitted. The commissioners will make
answer, accompanied by an order, and
will probably eliminate numerous fea-
lures but will insist upon a statement
showing the gross earnings of Kansas,
very likely along the mileage basis
lines suggested by Mr.. Low.
The reports were prepared by the in
terstate commerce commission and
sent out to various states. The blanks
used in Kansas are different from all
others.
WICHITA IS HAPPY.
Giles Smith Tells Gov. Leedy They
Have 30 Saloons Which are a