The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-10

| be willing to afford such facilities as
will render our educational advantages
| equal to those afforded elsewhere.
| INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.
One of the more recent movements in
| the state is the attempt to establish in
| dustrial schools at Quindaro in the in
terest of the negro. No race ever
| emerged from slavery, and in so short
| a time reached such an advanced posi-
| ton in all the branches of industrial
pursuits, as the colored race in America.
| They have also made great advances
| in literature and the arts.
The one great need of the negro today
! is progress and development in the
| things fostered and encouraged by in
| dustrial education.
The fame of Booker Washington is
national, and his work in the south in
| connection with his great industrial
| school for the education of the negro is
attracting wide attention. While he
| has been greatly assisted by private
| donations he has also been aided by
public appropriations. The school at
Quindaro is under the supervision of
Rev. w. T. Vernon, a gentleman of Gull
| ture who is fully devoted to the uplift-
| ing of his race.
If within the limits of the constitution
I would suggest that the Quindaro
movement be given aid and encourage
ment by the state.
| STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
The chief measure of our states pros
perity being derived from the soil, every
| proper means should be utilized for en-
couraS1nS the best development of her
agricultural resources, the diSsemina-
ton of useful information to that end,
| and the gathering of and making access
| Sible, reliable statistics which will show
| to all inquirers the states possibilities.
| For quarter of a century our state
| board of agriculture has carried on
work along this line, with success
| unmatched by that of any like organic
| alton elsewhere. Its publications on
practical subjects are used as text
! books at leading colleges and expert
| ment stations, and its statistics accept
| ed everywhere as among the most au-
| thentic and carefully compiled of any
| to which students or the business public
| have access.
| Rightly conducted and maintained, as
| 1T has been, entirely aloof from politics,
| Kansas can have no more valuable de-
| partment than this, and it should be
! maintained on an equality with the
1 most important. This is only Justice
| to the farming class, which constitutes
| such large proportion of our popula-
| ton, and which contributes so large a
| share to the states revenues. Our tax
| payers and business men will not be-
| grudge such generous treatment of this
! department as will serve to make for
| and maintain its highest efficiency.
RAILROADS.
| For years there have been unfriendly
| relations existing between the railroads
| and the people of this state, during
| which time the railroad question has
! been the source of animated discussion
| sometimes resulting in bitter antagon-
! ism.
In the earlier history of Kansas this
| condition did not exist. AS settlement
| pushed westward from the eastern Dor
| der the necessity for means of transport
/ tation was so great that counties, town
| ships and cities gave large subsidies to
| encourage the building of railroads. The
| people giving this aid expected that the
| advantages afforded by new addi-
| tiOnal lines of railway would in some
| degree compensate for the self Imposed
/ burden which the granting of aid crea-
| ted. The railroad companies responded
| to this friendly assistance and became
| efficient agencies in the settlement and
| development of the country They made
| lavish expenditures in advertising the
| resources of the state and special ef-
forts to encourage immigration. They
| entered into a generous rivalry with
| other interests in the work of making
| Kansas great state.
This friendly cooperation produced
| great results, and soon our advantages
| were so we'll advertised that Kansas at
! tracted much attention and thousands
| Of homeseekers found their way to this
| western Mecca.
| The railroads have always borne their
| full share of the public burdens. The
| last available data shows that they pay
| in the way of taxes-more than the
entire personal property of the state,
and one-third as much as our entire
taxable lands. In addition to all this,
the operation of the railroads in the
| state furnishes employment to about
80, 600 employees and pays out in the way
of salaries and wages, about $15,OOO,0O0
annually.
1t seems strange that agencies which
have done SO much for the state, are
now bearing such a large part of it's
burdens and furnishing employment to
so many of its laborers. should be met
by the people in a spirit of unfriendH-
ness If not of hostility; yet it is ap
parent that such spirit exists.
The causes for this condition are
numerous. On the one hand, the po-
litical demagogue has been constant, in
season and out of season, in melting
the people against the railroads that he
might gain personal or political advan-
tage. On the other, the railroad man
agement has afforded ample ground for
the discomfort which exists. 1t can
hardly be hoped that there will be a
| establishment of the old time rela-
lions of cordiality and goodwill while
those reasons remain.
The railroad companies have large
sums invested in Kansas and should be
allowed to realize reasonable profit
on the amount invested. The people of
the state are too fair-minded to so limit
the rate of transportation over railroad
| lines as to cripple the companies, pre-
| vent them from realizing a reasonable
income their capital, or from paying
to the great army of laboring men they
employ, good wages. They believe,
| however that the railroads have dis
| eliminated against Kansas cOmmuni-
ties, and out of theis belief has grown
much of the feeling of dissatisfaction
which now prevails.
This same conclusion confronted US
ten years ago. In his message to the
legislature in 1889 Governor Martin, in
| treating this question, said:
And worse than all and of state, as
| well as local concern, several of the
railway lines of Kansas are So oper-
| ated as to build up and foster alien
communities, to the detriment or de-
| StructiOn of our own towns and cities"
Several If not most, of the railroads
| traversing our state are so operated as
to retard the growth and damage the
] prosperity of communities that have
materially aided in building them, and