The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-07
SYNOPSIS OF THE BILL.
Which Gov. Leedy Wants the Extra
Session to Pass.

The following is a more extended syn
OpSiS of Governor Leedy'S railroad Dill
which he intends to call the legislature
together to pass, than was gwen Satur-
The bill provides that the rates and
classificatiOns in force on all roads in
Kansas. December 81, 1897, shall be the
highest rates to be made until revised
1t provides that during the months Ct
April May and June the board shall
devote their attention to q careful IN
VestfgatiOn of the schedules in the same
and hearing everybody who wants to
tell them anything about it, during
which time they shall make and issue
to every road a schedule of the rates
and claSSificatiOns to be established on
that road hereafter, that the road shall
have 20 days to come back and file pro-
tests and explanations; that on the first
of July of every year the board shall
issue a schedule to 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 they may investigate his com
plant and determine to what redress
he is entitled It provides that OF their
own vOlitiOn at any time they may go
and investigate any business Of a rail-
road and give a decision as to whether
it shall be changed 1t provides that IN
order to accomplish these things the
board of railroad commissioners shall
have the same power to subpoena wit
nesses, to bring parties in to court, to
compel testimony, TO make ORDERS ana
decisions and to enforce them, that a
district court has; that their rulings
shall not be renewable in any district
court of the state, but only in the su-
preme court. 1t requires every sheriff
and other officer to carry out their or
ders, just as if they were from a dis
trict court. 1t provides that the board
NAV select an assistant attorney gem
eraI for the board, who shall bear the
same relation to them that county at
torney does to a board of county COM
missioners and to a district court; that
when complaints are nIed ne ShaI ap-
pear to prosecute them as the county
attorney would criminal action, thus
saving the poorest shippers the expense
of an attorney which they can't meet;
that he shall of his own vOIitiOn insti-
tute Investigations before the board or
by their orders do so, just as a county
attorney might. 1t provides that the
costs of these actions shall go against
the losing party and the state shall pay
those of the complainant except in case
he files a malicious action. The bill
provides that there shall be an appeal
to the supreme court of the state only,
but that every appeal shall be filed in
the supreme court within 80 days from
the decision. and that these appeals
shall have precedence OF all civil cases
in that court and shall be heard at the
first term of the supreme court after
they are filed. The board under this
bill will have the same power to make
rate schedules for the railroads and to
enforce them that a district court has
to make any decision. The board of
railroad commissioners will no longer
be a justice of the peace court. Their
attorney will relieve them of the en-
barrassing position in which they have
been placed of being both prosecutors
and judges The bill provides that vio-
latiOns of the bill or of the orders of the
board shall be misdemeanOrs and that
railroads and their representatives shall
be punished therefor by fines of as high
as $4,000 and by imprisonment in case
of the persons themselves. AQX ship
per who has to pay more than legal
charges can recover. the same in any
competent court and a reasonable at
tOrney's fee.