The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-22
WHAT is 1T FOR?
Seems to Be No Use For Court
of Visitation.
Judges Only Business is to Draw
Their Salaries.
NOT A SINGLE CASE.
Docket Is Not Encountered
With Official Records.
Have People With Grievances
No Confidence In the Court?

For 10 or Is years in this state there
has been a demand for railroad legisla-
ton, the shippers complaining that the
railroads have been making extortion-
ate charges and thereby making a sue
cessful trade in many lines almost i'm
possible. This has been true particu-
larly of cattlemen. farmers and ship
pers of farm implements.
When the state board of railroad
commissioners was in existence fire.
quent petitions for depots, telegraph
facilities at stations. and occasional
complaints against existing rates found
their way to that department of the
state government
Far above this current of affairs pre-
vailed the demand for anti-railroad
legislation-the more radical the bet
ter.
The Populist special session of the
legislature gave the people new rail-
road law providing ways and means
for the adjustment of grievances but
the enactment of this law, like the
adoption of a series of resolutions at
conventions. seems to have failed to
dispose of the existing evils.
Not 4 single case has been filed with
the court of visitation against Kansas
railroads. The one case pending before
the court at this time, which will prob
ably be heard in June, is an application
for the enforcement of the law reducing
telegraph tolls, made by J. G.. Maxwell
OF MCPHERSON, a grain dealer This
law was also passed at the special SeS-
sion of the legislature.
The Republican state officers and the
judges of the court are puzzled at this
condition of affairs The Populists
gave the Republicans the court and
permitted Governor Stanley to name
its members. The court has been ready
for business for nearly two months
but there has been nothing for it to do.
While the Republican party will be
ha1 az q
the law, the court can do nothing until
formal complaints are filed While
there are now many men charging the
same old things against railroad COM
panies there seems to be no effort
made on their part to take advantage
of the opportunities offered under the
new law to secure just what the people
have been demanding.
One of the Republican state officers
said today: 1t looks as though this
cry against the railroads had been
made for political effect. Now that
these kickers have a means of redress
why do they delay establishing pro-
ceedings?"
When the railroads get up against"
the new law they will take steps at
once to test its constitutionality but it
is not out of order to suggest that the
railroads profess no alarm at the out
come of such case in court.
In the meantime the judges of the
court of visitation spend their time
reading the various railroad laws, and
reports on railroad cases, waiting for
something to come along to engage the
attention of the court in the work for
which it was created.
The new railroad law makes it the
duty of the people having grievances
against railroad companies to file their
cases with the court of visitation for
adjudication. But. unless the people do
something the members of the court
will drawn their salaries and do no
work.