The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-02-11
NO Is.
WHAT LEEDY WANTS
He Would 5svs Railroad Rates Fixed
Each Year by the STATE
ne Board Of CommIzsiO1srs % Have Ahso-
Iute PoEer-Upon the LesIslature,s
Opinion OF the Proposed I'm De-
Psnds the Extra Session

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb Gov. Lesdy
has prepared a railroad bill which
gives the board Of railroad commits
siOners the power to make and enforce
q schedule Of rates on all the railroads
Of kansas he wiz send the bill, to
gether with an address, to the mem
bers Of the legislature, asking them Il
they viii support such q measure IN 3
special session If majority OF both
houses reply In the affirmative, q sPe-
cial session viii be called for the 1st
Of March. The majority Of the mem
bers Of the senate have pledged them
selves to such a measure
The bin which Gov. Leedy expects 70 ask the
legislature 20 pass. should c special session b
called. IS what is known as . commissioners
bill Il contemplates giving the board al Of
the power to control rates and giving that BODY
q power far beyond that enjoyed By any rail-
road board in the United States The question
OF whether an extra session Of the Legislature
shall be called is supposed to hinge entirely On
the action OF the members % the legislature
The bill provides that rates and ciassihca-
tiOns in force on all roads in Kansas December
81, 1897, shall be the highest rates 20 be made
until revised It provides that during the
months OF April May and June the board shah
devote its attention TO a careful Investigation
Of the schedules in the same aad hearing every
body who wants to tell them anything about II
During this time they shall make ana
issue 70 every read schedule Of the rates and
ClassihcatiOns 70 be established on that
road hereafter. The road shall have 90 days 70
Me protests and explanations On July q
every year the board seal issue schedule %
each road which shall be the highest rates that
the Law allows to be charged In the state Of
Kansas thereafter; that It provides that at any
time upon complaint OF any shipper the com
mfssioners may investigate his complaint and
determine 70 what redress he is entitled
OF its own Tolition az any time the board
may investigate any business Of railroad ana
give a decision IS 70 whether it shall be
changed Il provides that IN order 70 accom-
pllsh these things the board Of railroad COM
nissioners shall have the same power 70 sub
pOsna witnesses, to bring parties into court, 20
compel testimony, to make orders and dec1-
sious and 20 enforce them that a district court
has; that its rulings shall not be renewable IN
any district court Of the state, but only IN
the supreme court It requires every sherin
and other officers TO carry out the com
missiOners' orders, just as il they were
from q district court The board may select an
assistant attorney general who shall bear the
same relation 20 it that county attorney does
to a board Of county commissioners and 70 q
district court When complaints are hled he
shall appear TO prosecute them as the county
attorney would . criminal action, thus saving
the poorest shippers the expense Of an Gttor-
ney, which they can't meet II provides that
the cost Of these actions shall 60 against the
losing party and that the state shall pay those
Of The complainant, except In case he hles q
malicious action
While there shall be On appeal to the supreme
court Of the state only. every. appeal shall be
fled within % days from the decision, and
these appeals shall have precedence Of all civil
cases and shall be heard at the first term Of the
supreme court after they are fled
The board Of railroad commissioners viii no
longer be a justice Of the peace court Its at
torney will relieve the members Of the emDar-
RAISING position Of being both prosecutors and
judges
The bill provides that violations Of the bill
OF Of the orders Of the board, shall be misde-
meanors and that railroads and their repre-
sentatives shall be punished therefor by fines Of
as high as s5cO) and BY imprisonment In cases
Of the persons themselves ANY shipper who
has 70 pay more than legal charges can recover
the same in any competent court and reason
able attOrneY's fee