The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-20
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe and State Sanitary
Commission Clash.
Company Takes Exceptions to a
Recent Order.
OPPOSES INSPECTION.
Railway Officials Hold That De-
lay is Unnecessary.
Present System Manifestly IN
just to Railroads.
OPPOSES INSPECTION.

The state live stock sanitary commits
sion has precipitated a controversy with
the Santa Fe railroad company and is
likely to meet strong opposition in en-
forcing some Of the half-baked regula-
tions which the commission has been
promulgating al frequent intervals dur
ing the past six months
The Santa Zee company takes exeep-
tions to a recent order of the commits
sion requiring that all cattle coming
into Kansas after April / from prohib-
tied areas shall be unloaded from the
cars and inspected by representatives Of
the Kansas commission.
The order of the board specifies that
all cattle coming into Kansas after
April l. from points tributary to Fort
Worth, shall be unloaded at Fort Worth
and inspected. This includes the Santa
F'e and Rock Island.
The commission has also made an or
der that the cattle coming in over the
Santa Fe from the southwest shall be
unloaded and inspected at Kiowa.
This regulation makes it impossible
for cattlemen to ship into the state
without at least once unloading and re-
loading the cars for the purpose of an
inspection. for which they are required
TO pay so much per head for the benefit
OF the inspectors.
Unless the legislature next year takes
cognizance of the necessity of a live
stock commission and provides for a
proper conduct Of the business, the
commission, if cattlemen can have their
say, will be abolished. In this view the
railroads also share, because the sys-
tenn under which the commission now
operates is one which is manifeStly I'M
just to the railroads.
AS the commission now exists there
is only enough money appropriated for
the three members of the commission.
TO raise funds for the payment of some
of the inspectors the commission levies
d tax of ? cents per head upon the cat
tie brought into the state. This money
is an additional burden imposed as a
tariff on the Importation Of cattle into
the state.
In other instances the commission re-
Quires the payment of inspectors furn-
isheG by them, by the railroads. This
imposes another heavy burden on the
railroads, which are prevented from re-
fusing such favOrs because the commits
sion might take a hand in directing the
shipment of cattle, which would cause
serious losses in business to the trans
pOrtatiOn companies.
Then another burden the railroads
are compelled to carry and that is fur
nishing free transportation to the live
stock commission. The members Of
this commission make most incessant
demands for passes and free tickets and
the railroads disgorge without pro-
test, because as one of the managers in
this city recently said;
I'VE have to dance when the commits
sion plays"
Since the Santa Fe has raised the
question of the commissions power to
enforce this inspection and unloading
rule the commission has submitted the
propositions to the attorney general for
an opinion concerning the extent to
which this self-constituted court, judge
and jury may go.