Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-02-17
WHAT LEEDY WANTS.
He Would Have Railroad Rates Fixed
Each Year by the State.
The Board Of Commissioners Co Have AbsO-
Lutte POwer-Upon tho Legislatures
Opinion Of the Proposed bill De-
ponds the Extra Session.

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb. Gov. Leedy
has prepared 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 will send the bill, to-
gether with an address, to the MEM
bers Of the legislature, asking them il
they will support such measure in
special session. If a majority of both
houses reply in the affirmative, spe-
cial session will be called for the 1st
of March. The majority of the mem
bers of the senate have pledged them
selves to such measure.
The bill which Gov Leedy expects to ask the
legislature to pass, should q special session be-
called, Is what is known as commissioners
bill II contemplates giving the board all OF
the power to control rates and giving that body
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 Of the legislature.
| The bill provides that rates and classihca-
| lions 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 OF April May and June the board shall
devote its attention to u careful investigation
OF the schedules in the same and hearing every
body who wants to tell them anything about 1t.
During this time they shall make and
issue to every road schedule OF the rates and
classihcatiOns to be established on that
road hereafter. The road shall have 20 days to
file protests and explanations On July OF
every year the board seall issue u schedule TO
each road which shall be the highest rates that
the law allows to be charged in the state OK
Kansas thereafter; that it provides that at any
time upon complaint of any shipper the COM
missioners may investigate his complaint and
determine to what redress he is entitled
OF its own volition at any time the board
may investigate any business of q railroad and
give decision us to whether 1t shall be
changed. II provides that in order to accom-
plish these things the board Of railroad COM
missioners shall have the same power to sub
pmna witnesses, to bring parties into court, to
compel testimony to make orders and deci-
sions and to enforce them that district court
has; that its rulings shall not be renewable In
any district court Of the state, but only in
the supreme court 1t requires every sheriff
and other officers to carry out the COM
missoners orders, just as II they were
from a district court The board may select an
assistant attorney general, who shall bear the
same relation to it that a county attorney does
to board OF county commissioners and to
district court When complaints are filed he
shall appear to prosecute them as the county
attorney would criminal action, thus saving
the poorest shippers the expense OF an attor-
ney, which they can't meet. 1t provides that
the cost Of these actions shall go against the
losing party and that the state shall pay those
of the complainant, except in case he files
malicious action
While there shall be an appeal to the supreme
court Of the state only, every appeal shall b0
filed within 80 days from the decision ana
these appeals shall have precedence of all civil
cases and shall be heard at the first term OF the
supreme court after they are filed.
The board of railroad commissioners will TO
| longer be justice of the peace court Its az
torney will relieve the members Of the embar-
RAISING position of being both prosecutors and
judges
| The bill provides that violations of the bM
or of the orders of the board, shall be misdo-
meanors and that railroads and their repre-
sentatives shall be punished therefor by fines az
as high as 5000 and by Imprisonment in case5
of the persons themselves. Any shipper who
has to pay more than legal charges can recover
the same in any competent court and reason
able attorneys fee.