Kansas City journal., 1898-01-19
FACTS Us. FAtCIES.
FORMER PRESENTED BY PREsIDExT
RIPLEY, OF THE ANITA FE.
BROWN AND DAVIS ANSWERED.
PRINCIPLES WHICH GOVERN THE
MAKING OF RATES.
Red Hot Reading for All Who Are In.
terested I'm Knowing the Truth
About Railroad Questions
I'm kansas and Else.
where.

Chicago, Jan. 1S.-In a recent letter to
the editor of the Kansas Commoner. Pres
ident E. P. Ripley. of the Atchison. To-
peka & Santa Fe, says:
When 1 availed myself of the courtesy
of your columns to reply to the article
of Mr.. Brown. published in your issue OF
August last. began by saying that had
no desire to become involved IN a news
paper controversy. Certainly had no idea
that my one letter would provoke such
an outpouring of literature In reply as
has since appeared in your pages over tne
signatures Of Mr. Brown and Mr.. Davis
respectively. l do not know whether l nave
read all that these gentlemen have s wri.eea reea
a great deal, and il few yards OF MT.
Davis matter has escaped me believe no
sibly reply at the same length as he has
written, however, because. however strange
II may seem. my duties occupy my time
quite fully. A great deal OF what Mr.
Davis has written. moreover. seems to me
to be entirely aside from the question at
issue. He has drifted off into general abuse
ent administration at Washington. and a
great many other things which have MOTH
Ing to do with the subject Of passenger
rates in Kansas. While, therefore. / am
willing and desirous to tel! the people OF
Kansas as much as possible about the
Santa Fe road. and Il possible to get them m
its workings and its success. may be par.
doned. hope, II hurry over great dea!
at some length 0e and eonne myself only
the essential points at issue. l will take
up the various complaints which Mr..
derstand them, and dispose of them as
briefly as can.
As to Mr.. Ripley's Salary.
a. 1t is complained that do not earn
my salary as president of the Santa Fe
road: at least. 1t is charged that my salary
is unreasonable" and that 1. myself. am
ol little value" / do not see the direct
sss and 0t the ems subeci IS m
RAISING to a modest man. / can only say
that 1 began to work for a railroad COM
wages which / think even Mr.. Brown would
consider modest. that / never enjoyed what
Is called a pull" that the directors Of
could. that / work to the best Of my abil-
ity. that there Is no compulsion on the
directors or stockholders OF the Santa Fe
body else. and they are at libertysto make
a change at any time. Until they do SO
must accept the fact Of my continuance
as to the value of my work even than the
statements of Mr.; Brown and Mr.; Davis:
% 1t is complained that the Santa Fe
on many of its folders. Again / confess
that / miss the connection between this
and the , matter Of PASSENGER rates in Kan
terest. however. may state that the lion
that formerly appeared on the Santa Fe
folders f,111 was .I not the British lion; It was
was. ! am informed. originally adopted
from the lion of Venice and not the lion
great commercial and carrying power of
the world. Starting from their one little
port, the Venetian navigators pushed their
known world and did the carrying trade
and the commerce of the greater part Of
the people Of the earth. When the Santa
re pushed its tracks across some Of the
wildernesses which 1t traverses 1t seemed as
II the spirit which impelled the men who
built the road was not unlike the spirit
Oh the OLD venetian sea captains. They,
In the old days. carried their lion ensign
proudly wherever there was trade to be
gained GAINED or carrying ,r to be done: and It
Well for the Santa Fe road. Personally.
on this understanding Of 1t. / think the
that this trademark was discarded some
tr,ss over year ago and further discus
sion OF surr. wholly frivolous matter is
superfluous.
Complete Reports Made.
So 1t is frequently complained that
there are no detailed public Official re-
ports" Of railway matters and that rail-
way wa mana managers make make no public reports to
this charge means. 1t used to be made
with truth up to some ten years ago. As
a matter of fact. to-day railway managers
do make public reports and those reports
are given in great detail. The Atchison,
Topeka q Santa Fe makes full reports an.
nually to the interstate commerce commits
sion. to the United States department OF
the interior, to the railroad commissions
of each Of the states OF Illinois. Iowa, Mis-
souri,. Kansas and Texas respectively and
TO the labor commission of Missouri. These
public reports are In addition to the an
nual reports Of the. stockholders which
are also printed and widely distributed.
The mere clerical labor of making them
out for the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe
railway proper uaking no account of the
other portions Of the Santa Fe railway.
costs $500 per annum. occupying sixty
men for thirty days. at $50 each. The form
OF this report is not of the railway COM
pany's choosing. 1t is drawn up by the
interstate commerce commission and by
the commissions of the various states. is
printed by them. and Is furnished to the
Santa Fe company. with orders to fill il
out. 1t is filled out and officers of the COM
pany testify under oath that the figures
are correct IL there is any suspicion that
they are not correct the commissions have
full power to compel the company to pro.