The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-19

pie is fully recognized in the Leedy bill
in section 6, where it says Immediately
following the language above quoted:
And the charges then in force on any
road shall be the highest rates to be
charged by said company"
Governor Leedy avoided another snag
by not saying, land the charges then
in force on any road shall be the max
imum (highesO rates" And yet by
this simple provision he fixes a schedule
of maximum rates as absolutely and
as certainly as did the Campbell, or the
senate bills of 1885 or the late house
bill. True, he does not print the sched-
ule in the bill, nor does he use the OBJ
jectonable term maximum rates.
though he does say highest rates, which
terms are not only cO-relatiVe but alb
solutely the same. So we see that he
nas not only provided for the classifi-
cation of the roads, he has not only
fixed the clasSificatiOns of freight and
property, and provided for the revision
of the same, but he has fixed a schedule
of rates, and has provided for the re-
vision of such schedule just as was pro-
Vided for in the old maximum rate bills.
The late house bill gave railroad cas-
es precedent over all cases except GRIM
fnal cases in any court in the state 50
that provision of the Leedy bill giving
precedence to railroad cases over all
civil cases in the supreme court is not
new. In fact, the Leedy bill contains
clothing of the board of railroad com
missioners with judicial powers of a
specific nature, and the other is the ap-
pointing of an assistant attorney gen
eral whose duty it is to wait upon the
board. I believe both of these prOvis-
ions are wise ones and L consider that
they add strength to the law.
In my judgment this law if passed.
would redeem every pledge made by
the Populist party for the past seven
years on the line of railway legisla-
ton.
Those parties who were in favor of
the principles as laid down in the old
POpulist bills should be satisfied that
those principles are fully recognized in
the proposed measure. Those parties
who were not in favor of any change in
the existing rates and classifications
until a commission had time and oppor-
tunity to make full investigation,
should be pleased, for no change is at
tempted for the present in the existing
rates and classifications, and they are
simply made permanent while this in
vestigation goes on and until the com
mission can come to some definite I'M
derstanding, except that the railroads
can lower their rates at will, provided
they lower them to all alike.
The claim that this proposed measure
in any way resembles the Harris bill is
too silly to call for any notice what
ever. Governor Ieedy showed that bin
up in it's true colOrs in his mastery
veto message on the measure, which
attack and which left that bill stripped
so naked that even it's leading champion
at the time of it's passage has since de-
MED it.
I do not consider the Leedy bill as
being absolutely perfect. There are
some deficiencies which regard as of
more than passing moment. 1 believe
that the railroads should be compelled
complete and specific nature, which in
formation should be for the use and in
formation of the public at large. But
since the board under this proposed law
of any information necessary to their
use, we can wait a more convenient
season for the other.
know there are some who object to
placing such vast power in the hands
of the board of commissioners, and I
can illustrate my views on this subject
by relating a little incident that hap
pened in my committee room last win
ter. A certain friend of mine, who mas
the good fortune to draw the salary of
a district judge, came in one morning
and objected that my bill placed too
much power in the hands of the board
of commissioners. I turned to him and
asked, IF a railroad case should come
before you as judge, would you be will
ing to sell a decisiOn?" His reply was.
mo. sir Then said I, eff you were
transferred to the board of railroad
commissioners I suppose you could be
much more easily approached" But
some way he could see no reason why
he should be upright in one place and
not in the other, and neither could I.
Nor do 1 believe that should Judges
Doster, Johnson and Allen be trans
ferred from the supreme bench to a
place on the board of railroad commits
sioners they would be one whit less
honest in the one place than they are
in the other, Nor do believe that these
gentlemen have any corner on all of
the honesty to be found in Kansas.
do not know who the author of the
proposed measure is. I was neither ad-
Vised with nor consulted about it, and
or7Trr aGix al AZ off fa1 Y
February Is, though I had seen a text
of the bill in several papers some days
ago. This much I do know, however:
There are few men who have worked
harder for some competent and efficient
railroad legislation than myself, and l
stand ready to support this measure