The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-19
AT THE STATE HOUSE.
Governor Leedy's Railroad Com
mittee Files Its Report.
Suggests the Building of a
North and South Road.
Offers This as an UItimatum in the
Effort to Secure Lower Freight
Rates.

The committee which was appointed
BY Gov. Leedy to confer with similar
committees from Oklahoma, Texas and
Nebraska. to secure some united action
for lower freight rates has filed its re-
port with the governor.
The committee is composed of Rep
resentatives Ed T. Hackney, w. F.
Brown OF Pratt, Johnson of Nemaha
and senator's King and Campbell
The report says:
Your committee from the first fully
realized the magnitude and dlthcuItles
attending the undertaking before them.
Nor was ii in any sense disappointed,
although it found many advantages
both natural and artificial that we had
not expected when we started on our
mission, and we are unit in asserting
that the more we looked into the mat
ter. the fewer reasons we found why
the railroad companies should not give
the people of Kansas, Nebraska, Okla
homa and all the other northwestern
states greatly reduced rates on the
products of their farms; ON the contra
~ we found every reason, a reasonable
and honest man could conceive OF, why
they should accede to the demands of
she dOwntrOdden people"
The report says further:
president Ripley of the Santa Fe in
carefully WOrded address before the
joint committee in Austin, Tex took
the ground that the consumer paid the
freight, and that instead of a reduction
IN freight rates on gram acInS IN
way t0 raise the price to the producer.
IL really left the price the same to him,
but reduced the price in a proportion
equal to the reduction to the consumer
a the place of final consumption, and
all the railroad magnateS connected
with the great main lines seemed to
concur with him in this conclusion.
Your committee regards this argument
as fallacious and contrary to every at
tribute of common sense and reason,
and we believe every farmer and bust
ness man will view it in this light"
The report consists of 20 type written
pages. the last two of which are as fol-
lows.
Your committee conferred with gen
tIemen who are engaged in the railroad
business, who stated that they would
b. willing to engage to build and fully
equip a line of road from any point
near Galveston on the Gulf, to any
point in northern Kansas, Nebraska or
VIII fall considerably short Of $4,000
per mile.
Your committee had access to the
expense accounts Of a road that has re
Gently been built in Texas. A portion
OF your committee also had the pleas
ure OF passing over this line of road,
which is 70 miles in length. We found
the road well built as far as the work
had progressed. and your committee is
satisfied, judging from what had been
paid out and what was still necessary
for it's completion, that its actual cost
viii fam considerably short of $40 600
per mile. including equipment, and de-
spite the fact that this road is in an
unfinished condition, and despite the
fact that this road passes through a
very sparSely settled part of the cOun-
Try. despite the fact that this road is
without depOts or any conveniences and
only runs one mixed train per day each
way over its line. we are assured by the
owners that the road was paying all
expenses and a fair dividend on the
money invested.
This road is the Gulf and Interstate
which. although it does a business,
when compared with the great through
lines, that is so small as to be really
Insignificant, yet pays expenses and a
handsome profit, and shows as in the
case of the Hearne and BrazOs Valley
railroad what can be done where a road
Is honestly operated.
We are fully convinced from what
we have been able to learn, and after
having given the matter a careful and
painstaking inquiry, that a road could
be built and equipped beginning at the
north line of the state and ending at
tide water near Galveston for not to
exceed IS. 900, 900, and we are further
convinced that this sum would be saved
TO the people annually in lowered
freight rates.
The railroad facilities to the south
are ample at this time for the trans
porta ton of all the business of the cen
trial vest. There is but one reason why
new road should be built and that
should refuse to grant lower "a es. Some